


Valkyrie Densetsu Gaiden

by Hollowtaker75



Series: Valkyrie Densetsu [2]
Category: Original Work, Street Fighter
Genre: Action/Adventure, Drama, Martial Arts, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-24
Updated: 2020-03-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:27:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,990
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23298535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hollowtaker75/pseuds/Hollowtaker75
Summary: This story focus on Juste Vermilion and how he almost defeat Saya Valentine and why he move to South Lake Tahoe in the first place.
Series: Valkyrie Densetsu [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1675525





	Valkyrie Densetsu Gaiden

**Author's Note:**

> This is a Side Story about the Legendary Martial Artist Juste Vermilion and how he become the fighter he is today.

Some years passed after the Robert Vermilion's ascension in the martial arts king and the Earth entered a period of relative peace. The few threats that arose were minor compared to that of the Shadow Demons and handled promptly by the great martial artist, Mutou Kobayashi. Mutou was a fighting prodigy ever since childhood and had always been stronger than the average man. He trained hard every day to defend his village from harm and had even fought against Garlic's demons when they first appeared on Earth. When the Shadow Demon appeared and Nova Akuma attacked his home, Mutou challenged the monster and was defeated with ease before being forced to watch his home and family be destroyed before his eyes. His pride destroyed but his resolve strengthened, the young man went into exile to train and find what he needed to defeat the Shadow Demons.

It was during his time in exile that Mutou learned the secret of what he called "Spirit Power", the mystical ability to control chi that was spoken of only in legends. When he returned after years of training, he found the world at peace but vowed he would do all he could to keep it that way. As his legend grew, Mutou established a school to pass his knowledge on to a new generation, welcoming any and all who wished to learn. Among his pupils was a perverted young man called Juste Vermilion.

Juste was born in the downtown area of Sacramento,CA but also lives in small villages known for it's strict morals and deep spiritual nature. From an early age, he had a less than innocent fascination with women and brought great embarrassment to the community,particularly his father Robert Vermilion, the original invisible lion . In sharp contrast, his big sister was held in great regard for her ability to summon spirits from the after-life. These same spirits had given her an enchanted crystal ball that allowed her to see the future and establish a fortune-telling business that brought her and the village great prosperity.

By the time he was fifteen, Juste had grown tired of living in his sibling's shadow and left home to seek his fortune. He came across Mutou's academy in his travels and was immediately noticed by the old master. Mutou sensed something special in the confused young man and offered to take him as a pupil, promising the teachings would provide the answers he sought. Juste, believing this meant he would finally outdo his sister, accepted.

Another notable pupil was Bryan Valentine, son of Mutou's old frind Trevor Valentine, the Hotel Tycoon. Bryan was a deeply troubled young man who believed martial arts were meant to dominate others and had already passed this philosophy on to his younger brother Tao. It was his father's hope that Mutou's wisdom would curb his dark impulses and soothe the anger that had been building in him since the death of his mother some years ago.

From the beginning, Juste and Bryan were rivals, always seeking to outdo the other. Both had potential but rarely took their training seriously as they were often seen making unwanted advances towards the female students and outright refused to wear the school gi or shave their heads like other male pupils, preferring their normal clothes and trademark shades.

After three years of this, Bryan finally crossed the line when he and Juste were competing for the affections of Haruka, a girl who lived in the neighboring village. Thanks to the help of a mysterious and unusually strong boy who had appeared out of nowhere to learn "spirit power", it seemed Fanfan was starting to fall for Juste and Bryan became furious. His anger and jealousy were so strong that he kidnapped her and even threatened her life when Juste and the boy attempted a rescue. It wasn't until after Fanfan was safe and Mutou had chewed him out that the Lion Master's son realized just what he almost did and vowed to repent.

A few months later, things changed. Juste and Bryan had gone from rivals to friends, even adopting a strange creature they named Idoshikachou as a pet and taking a break from their training to raise it. They believed this would help them impress Haruka but she had just recently discovered her own passion for martial arts and following a warning from Mutou's female students about their pervertedness, moved away to enroll in an all-female dojo. The two jilted suitors never saw her again but she would go to become one of Earth's strongest women and start an entire family of martial artists, the latest being The Raging Panther Jessica Heartily.  
After that, Juste and Bryan rediscovered their desire to get stronger and threw themselves into training. They even began wearing the school gi like everyone else. It wasn't long before Mutou counted them among his best students.

However, though they were equals in terms of strength and skill, there was one area where Juste simply couldn't compete with Bryan: the use of "spirit power." Trevor's son had long ago grasped the concept of chi control and could now use it in a variety of ways,including levitation, something not even Mutou could do. He had also become one of the select few students to learn the Tri-Beam, an ancient and very powerful move said to be used by the warriors of legend. Few could even attempt this move for it was said to drain the user's life force and result in death if not used sparingly.

While Juste was determined to maintain his friendship with Bryan, he couldn't help but feel jealous at his former rival's advancement. His own attempts at chi control were less impressive, only allowing him to augment his strength and speed. While this allowed him to run miles in seconds and deliver punches capable of shattering rock, such things were only impressive to those not in Mutou's inner circle. Bryan's good natures yet rather frequent ribbing didn't help matters.

One day, the school was visited by a mysterious woman. She was dressed like a witch and was so small that she floated on her oversize crystal ball for transport. When Mutou came to greet the stranger, he instantly recongnised her. "The great Ruby Vermilion is always welcome here" the old master said with a bow "to what do I own the honor?" "Never mind the boot licking youngster" Ruby Vermilion snapped "I'm just here to see my lousy kid brother, Juste."

Ruby Vermilion was indeed Juste's older sister, much older. Juste's father Furu had made a deal with the spirits many centuries ago to grant himself and his family extended life. By the time Juste was born, his parents were over five hundred years and Ruby was currently around two hundred.

Mutou summoned Juste without delay and left the siblings to talk. They glared at each other for several minutes, having never really liked each other before Juste left home. "What are you doing here Ruby ? Came to remind me that I missed mother's birthday again?"

"Actually, it was mine you missed but that's besides the point." Ruby replied dryly " I came to warn you that I've foreseen a horrible future for you, one that will come to pass very soon." This caught Juste's attention. As much as he disliked acknowledging his sister's talents, he knew they were very real and she was always accurate. "What did you see? Am I expelled or something?" Ruby rolled her eyes. "Nothing as tame as that, you dummy! In a few weeks time, Saya will launch a campaign to ravage Earth and everyone on it. One of his early attacks will be at this school and unless you leave now, you may not survive." There was a tense silence before Juste burst out laughing.

"It finally happened, you've gone senile" the young martial artist cackled " I mean an evil instrument trying to take over Earth? You really expected me to believe that? Come on sis, be honest. Mom and Dad sent you here, didn't they? This is obviously another ploy to get me home and studying to be a preist."

Rather than confess or even be angry at her brother's doubts, Ruby remained solemn. This unnerved Juste somewhat,being fully aware of how seriously his sister took her craft and didn't like it being mocked. The last person who did that had a rather nasty encounter with her spirit friends. "You don't have to believe me Juste, just beware the purple hair priestess for your sake and mine."

"Purple Hair Priestess? I thought you were talking about instruments?" Rather than answer, Ruby floated away, leaving her brother confused. 'She couldn't be serious,could she?' Juste thought 'and even if she was, why should I worry? This school is protected by Master Mutou, the most powerful man alive. No one, not even that weird kid that showed up a while back, could challenge him. What was that kid's name again?' Before Juste could ponder anything further, a voice called to him from behind. "Hey Juste!" It was Bryan, looking at him expectantly. "Are you done with whatever the Master called you for? We were supposed to spar today, remember?"

Juste nodded. "I'm right behind you but do me a favor and take it easy on using chi, will ya? It's not easy fighting someone who can fly you know." Bryan smirked. "I make no such promises."

As the two friends made their way to the mats to begin their sparring session, they were blissfully unaware of the danger on the horizon. Many miles away, the evil half of the namekian formerly known as Tenshi stood at the top of a large mountain, glaring down at the village below. It had taken more years than he had liked but he had finally managed to manifest a body and was now preparing his first strike against humanity.

Standing six feet tall, she appeared as a warped reflection of her mother other half with much darker tan skin and features that appeared much more sinister than those of his original self. Even the fangs and claw-like nails that Tenshi had attempted to conceal while growing up were much more prominent on his evil half. Completing the image was the "demon" symbol upon his shirt, meant to counter the "God" symbol that his lighter half wore in his office of Kami.

While memories of his original unified self were beginning to grow blurry, he knew for certain that a name was something he had always longed for, a genuine identity that truly made him part of the word. While he no longer shared such pathetic sentiments, a title was something he was definitely interested in. After all, if a weakling like his other half dared use the title" Kami ", then surely he deserved something just as grand. "I am…Saya" he said after a long moment, savoring the name's taste on her tongue. Yes, Saya. Though he knew not from where, he recalled the word meant "another world" in some unknown language and was not what he had been called since before the split? An otherworldly creature? A demon?

"I am Saya Valentine" the newly christened evil half said with more conviction "great queen of darkness and future ruler of the world. You are…Trumpet and you exist to serve me as my slave. Go down to the village and make my presence known Destroy all who live there without mercy!" "Yes master." And so it was that the reign of Saya Valentine began. She created more children to aid Trumpet, each one more evil than the last. There was Organ, Clarinet, Bell, Xylophone, Recorder,Piano and over a dozen others who rampaged though villages, towns, and cities in their mother's name. Each birth aged him little by little but none of that mattered. All that mattered was causing destruction and forcing his other half to endure the sight of it.

As fate would have it, Saya's horde eventually stumbled upon Mutou's academy. They were surprised by the strength of the students and found themselves challenged for the first time in their admitably short existence. Bryan in particular was the hero of the day as he lead the other "advanced" students in using the Tri-Beam to wipe them out one by by one. Juste had gone the more direct approach and was duking it out with a hulking demon who called himself Banjo, taunting him as he dominated the brute with superior skill and speed.

"So, all you guys are named after instruments? What are you then, a kind of demonic orchistra?" As Juste spoke, he hammered Banjo with a series of punches. The large demon stumbled backwards and growled in frustration.

"Mock me while you can human! You are strong for a member of you race but your luck can only last so long. Even if you do defeat me and my brothers, you're no match for our Empress Saya!"

This comment made Juste pause, uncertain if he heard right. 'Did he just say…Saya? No, it can't be!' The young martial artist was so distracted by these thoughts that his fighting skills quickly began to suffer. He barely managed to dodge Banjo's punch and the kick he aimed at the demon's head was sloppy enough to block. Banjo was smart enough to begin pressing his advantage and soon began pummeling Juste mercilessly. The beating finally ended when he pinned the young martial artist to a wall.

"It seems your luck has run out human" Banjo hissed menacingly, his hot breath on Juste's throat "never overestimate yourself in battle." "You should really listen to your own advice demon!" Banjo suddenly let out a scream as a Tri-beam struck him from behind. He released his grip on Juste and fell over dead, allowing the young martial artist to slump to the ground.

Bryan, Juste's savior, walked over to him and extended a hand. "Need some help?" "Thanks" Juste said as he got to his feet "even if I did already have him right where I wanted him." "For once, that's actually true" Bryan noted "you were tearing that thing apart up until the last minute. What happened?"

"I…was distracted" Juste replied hesitantly. He had spoken to no one about his encounter with his sister, or even who his sister was. He had enough trouble being Mutou's student without living in her shadow all over again.

Bryan raised an eyebrow. "Distracted huh? Don't tell me you were imagining the girls without their gis again?" He gestured to a group of female students nearby who had just defeated their own foes. Their muscular bodies coated in sweat and marked with scars and callouses while their aforementioned gis were currently covered in strange purple blood. In short, they were not at their most attractive but that had never prevented Juste from gawking in the past, or flirting. It did however, usually earn him a beating.

"I don't do that anymore!" Juste objected angrily "I'm a serious martial artist now, same as you. It doesn't really matter anyway since we seemed to have scared the monsters off." It was true. The surviving demons were so frightened by what they had seen that they were fleeing, some with the aid of wings on their backs. Juste watched them go with a satisfied smirk.

"The Master will sure be sorry he chose today to meditate in the hills" he told Bryan "he may never get a chance to fight one of those things now that it's over." "No Juste, I fear it isn't over yet." Everyone turned to see their sensi, the legendary Master Mutou himself, standing behind them. They bowed in respct but he paid no mind as he watched the departing demons with a grim expression. "If anything, what happened here today was only the beginning."  
…  
The remaining demons fled far from Mutou's school and into a deep forest, where they came to rest at a large cave, their current home. Saya sat on a makshift throne and glared down at them as they kneeled before him. "I sensed the death of your brothers" he said sharply to the assembled group "what has happened to make them waste the life force I gave you all?"

Kazoo, one of the smaller demons, dared to speak. "P-please my lord, it was not our fault! We encountered a group of human warriors who were different from the others, stronger and capable of wielding chi."

This caught Saya's attention. Using chi seemed to be unique only to her original self while growing up and made her evil half sure of his dominion over Earth. To know that humans now claimed this power filled the self-proclaimed Empress of Darkness with an odd mix of anger and intrigue. "Most interesting" she said at last as he stood up from his throne "these strange humans sound like an interesting challenge. Perhaps I shall face them myself and truly test their worth."

This announcement created a stir within Saya's children. Violin, a particularly vicious pristess, jumped up with excitement and said "we are always ready to follow you father." A hush fell over the demons at their brother's words. Though they knew Saya to be their parent, calling him such was forbidden when in his presence. Violin instantly realized his mistake when the demon king looked at him with narrowed eyes. "M-m-my Lady, please! I meant no disrespect!"

"You dare to call me that?" Saya hissed, ignoring Violin's plea "after fleeing from humans? After some of you allowed yourselves to die by their hands!? Your creation was a waste of my power and you must pay for what you have taken from me!" Beams of light shot from the demon king's eyes in a massive arc, striking almost every one of his offspring. As they slumped over dead, Trumpet, the eldest and the one elected to stay with Saya that day, approached from behind . "Master, are you quite certain that was wise? If these humans are as powerful as they said, their numbers might give even you difficulty."

"That is why you are coming with me Trumpet" Saya said simply "if you do not fail me, I may actually consider you my true offspring and heir." The Death Queen powered up and took flight, Trumpet following close behind with his own chi contol abilities. Meanwhile, Master Mutou had gathered his students inside the school to tell them the tale of his past, sitting on the floor as they gathered around him.

"Many years ago when I was a young man, the world was under the protection of a great warrior named Son Wukong, the Monkey Master. His strength was legendary and his mystical power pole could extend to the stars themselves if he so willed it but it was his heart that was the key to his true power. He was ever noble and practiced martial arts only fo health,spiritual enlightenment, and to defend the innocent from those with unworthy power. It is this creed that he taught me when I was his student and what I try to pass onto you. It was also around this time that word reached Wukong of a monstrous purple hair priestess who had been sighted around the world for years. He eventually left to confront the fiend himself and left me to guard our village.

I never saw him again but in the span of nearly two years, I had my own encounters with demons. The first were only a minor challenge and when I defeated them, my pride grew so that I believed myself invincible but no less than six months later, a far greater threat appeared to humble me. He called himself Nova and he had power over fire itself. I challenged him and was beaten with pathetic ease before he destroyed my village and all who lived there, sparing me only to prolong my suffering"  
Mutou paused in his story telling for a moment,seemingly overcome with emotion, and stood up. When he next spoke, it seemed as though he was warning them of the future.

"It was soon after that when I went into exile to discover Spirit power and during that time, Nova was somehow beaten but I have never forgotten that day or what it taught me: there is always a stronger warrior somewhere and you must always train hard, ever ready for the next threat!"

"Words to live by old man, however long you may." All turned to see two new demons standing in the school's entrance, one a miniature devil and the other a strange looking creature with antennae. From the later, Mutou could sense a very dark power. "Who are you? "

The powerful looking pristess gave a mock bow. "I am Saya Valentine, great Empress of death and future ruler of this world. Your children interfered in my rightful conquest earlier and must be disciplined accordingly. Stand aside and I may consider letting you live."

"They are my students" Mutou clarified as he stepped forward and assumed a fighting stance "all the same, if you mean to do them or the world harm,you will answer to me!"

Saya chuckled darkly and assumed her own stance. "Exactly the answer I was hoping for." In a split second, the Death Queen launched himself at Mutou and began to trade blows with him. To the shock of the students, Saya matched their master blow for blow for for several minutes before knocking him backwards into Juste's arms.  
"Master, are you all right!?" Never before had the young martial artist seen anyone land a hit on Mutou, none the students had. "I am fine Juste" the old master grunted as he got to his feet "this…Saya just may be the type of exercise I've been needing lately."

"Let us fight this creature master" Bryan demanded as he glared at Saya "we're the ones she's here for." "No!" Mutou ordered in a tone more suited for an overprotective father than a prideful warrior "this is my fight."

The old master assumed a power up stance and began gathering chi. After a few moments, his muscles bulged out slightly and he rushed towards Saya with incredible speed, aiming a punch at the priestess's smirking face. Saya stopped the punch easily and grabbed her foe's arm in a vice-like grip. "The warm-up is over" the Death Queen hissed before casually tossing Mutou through a nearby wall and following close behind. "MASTER!" The students rushed toward the opening in the wall with the intent of following but were quickly blocked by the second demon. "Not so fast humans, you won't interfere with my master so long as Trumpet has anything to say about it!" Juste scoffed. "You really think you can take us? We outnumber you by at least fifty to one."

Trumpet merely smirked. "Count again." The demon then proceeded to cough up an egg, then another and another, spitting out a dozen by the minute until there was an army capable of matching Mutou's students. The young martial artists watched in shock as Trumpet aged incredibly rapidly upon doing this and collapsed to the floor. "I may have given my life" he wheezed out in ragged breaths "but my children will insure that you will never interfere in my master again!" The demon closed his eyes for good after that but the young warriors still felt uneasy. "Uh…did he say children?" Juste asked Bryan nervously even as the eggs began to tremble. "Yeah, I think he did."

Simultaneously, every one of Trumpet's eggs hatched and grew into a duplicate of their parent. The students were soon facing a new wave of demons more deadly than the last. They advanced upon their human foes and began pushing them away from the wall. "What we we do now?" Juste asked to no one in particular. Once again, it was Bryan who answered: "we give them Hell!" Thus began one of the bloodiest battles in martial arts history. The demons fought completely without restraint and left Mutou's students, bound by their master's teachings of fighting honorably, completely outmatched by their ruthlessness. Many even brought about their own end, their life force depleted from their constant use of the Tri-beam. Soon, the numbers had dwindled so much that only Juste and Bryan remained.

Before the two former slackers could make a final heroic stand against the rapidly approaching demons, a familiar voice called out "Well, well,well, what have we here?" Saya stood in the wall's opening smirking at the scene. His gi was ripped but he looked otherwise unharmed, a sight that filled Juste with dread and Bryan with rage.

"It seems Trumpet was intelligent enough to create his own spawn" Saya noted as she glanced Trumpet's body and took in the sight of new demons "impressive. Perhaps he was a son of mine after all." At the sight of their master, the demons turned their attention away from Juste and Bryan, flocking towards her like loyal pets. The Death Queen almost looked amused at their groveling.

"So you are my grandchildren eh?" Saya mused "what you clearly lack in brains, you make up in loyalty and strength. I chose wisely when I granted your father the most power among my children. Come, with all these humans dealt with, this world is ours!"

With this said, the Death Queen and her new army took flight. Bryan watched them go and his blood boiled. "He never even acknowledged us! It's as if we didn't exist!" "Never mind that!" Juste exclaimed "we've got to find Master Mutou and quick!"

The two young martial artists raced onto the school's heavily damaged courtyard and were greeted by the sight of their master's body lying before them. He was perfectly still and they feared the worse as they approached him. "Master, can you hear me? " Juste whispered "please, you must wake up!" There was a grim silence for several moments before Mutou let out a faint groan. "Juste…?"

"He's alive!" Juste proclaimed joyously "quickly Bryan, we must try and heal him!" Bryan nodded but the look on his face bothered Juste. He seemed to be looking at their master with…disapproval? Shaking such thoughts from his head, the young martial helped to lift his mentor up and carry him back inside what remained of the school.

Mutou's recuperative abilities were as famed as his strength and within a few hours, he was completely healed. He now stood with his final students, looking forlorn as he gazed at his academy's remains and the many fallen students who had tried to defend it. Their noble deaths would weigh on the old master's soul for the rest of his life.

"Master, forgive us" Juste said quietly "we've failed you in every way possible." Mutou turned to look at the young man and said "No Juste, it's I who've failed. Saya's power was greater than I imagined, even Nova was not as strong. She's not like any other warrior I've faced in my life. In fact, I believe she may have been the one who caused Son Wukong's disappearance all those years ago. If that's true, what I have may not be enough."

"But you won't be facing him alone master" Juste objected "surely with Bryan and I fighting with you, we can win." "No Juste, it is my duty alone to destroy Saya and In order to do that, I must again become a student." Juste was confused. "What do you mean master?"

Mutou smiled sadly. "Just as I journeyed far to learn Spirit Power years ago, I must again journey far to learn the secret of defeating my enemy. I do not know how long it will take but I swear on my soul that I'll return to you one day."

Bryan was outraged. "You're leaving just like that!? After all this!? Do you know how many of us died for your failure!?"

"I do know Bryan" Mutou replied evenly, ever calm in the face of his student's rage "that is why I must do this. In order to truly honor their sacrifice, I must dedicate myself to learning as they did. I know that you do not understand now but you shall in time." The old master then turned on his heel and walked away. Bryan attempted to stop him but Juste held him back. "What about us Master? What will become of us now?"

Mutou turned back to to Juste and smiled. "You Juste, are destined for greatness" he said "both of you are. I knew this even during your days as slackers and I know that you shall be the ones to guide the next generation after I am gone. It is your destiny."

With these parting words, the old master was gone. Juste watched him go with a mix of sadness and admiriation but noticed Bryan still scowling. "It's for the best" he said in an attempt to comfort his friend "we just have to have faith in our master." Bryan responded by roughly pulling away from Juste and stomping off in the direction of his room, or at least what remained of it.

A few months passed and Juste threw himself into more training. He was determined to master "spirit power" and aid his master in defeating Saya at all costs. Even his nineteenth birthday went uncelebrated in favor of intense meditation, trying to summon his chi to the surface. He attempted to get Bryan to teach but his friend was despondent, preferring to sulk in his room and listen to radio reports of Saya's continued rampage. He seemed to have given up all hope for the Death Queen's defeat.  
After a while, Juste considered joining him. No matter how hard he tried, "spirit power" was beyond his reach and he could not grow stronger without it. It was only after one such failed training session that he finally found his answer. He had been in Mutou's former study, attempting to renew his waning faith in his mentor, when he noticed a book on the nearby shelf. it was called "Myths and Legends of Martial Arts."

Juste had always been fascinated by such tales, even before he became Mutou's student. Needing at least a temporary escape from his burden, he sat down at Mutou's desk and began to read. A part of him also hoped that perhaps Saya was featured in a legend along with his weaknesses. While he had no such luck, he did find something of interest: the tale of Marlon's Tower.

The legend said the centuries ago, after the death of the mighty warrior Olibu, his village sought to honor his memory by building a grand tower, tall enough to reach the very heavens. This tower was so grand that it attracted the attention of Marlon, the God of Martial Arts himself. Marlon was so impressed by the people's devotion to their champion that he appeared in person to reward them with the Sacred Water, said to make whoever drank it as mighty as Olibu was.

But Marlon was also a trickster by nature and declared that whoever drank the water must earn the right. He took it and ascended to the very top of the tower, daring whoever desired his gift to climb after it. No one ever did. No one ever had to this day.

The legend ended then and Juste took a moment to digest what he has learned. Could it be true? Was there really a God of Martial Arts who held the key to legendary power? Growing up in his family had convinced him it was definitely possible.

All at once, the young martial artist's mind raced with possibilities. If he and Bryan climbed the tower and earned the Sacred Water, they could become strong enough to defeat Saya! Better still, could Mutou had known of this legend already? Could he have left to climb the tower for himself? Now bursting with excitement and resolve, Juste rushed off with book in hand to tell Bryan of his discovery.

Trevor's son did not share his enthusiasm however. In fact, he snatched the book from Juste's hands and hurled it at his still intact dresser,causing a photograph on top to fall. "ARE YOU INSANE!? YOU WANT US TO JOURNEY HUNDREDS OF MILES TO A VILLAGE IN THE MIDDLE OF NOWHERE FOR A MYTH!?"

"Hey, it's worth a shot." Juste pointed out, a bit surprised by his friend's anger "we can't just hide away and do nothing while Saya's out there. It would violate Master Mutou's code." Bryan's face twisted into a nasty glare at these words and Juste almost felt afraid. Bryan hadn't looked at him like that even when they were bitter rivals.  
"Are you telling me that you honestly still believe in that old fool after all this!? After he abandoned us!?" Juste was aghast. "The Master didn't abandon us Bryan, he-" "He is a coward in hiding" Bryan finished bitterly "haven't you figured out by now that it doesn't work?"

"What doesn't work?" "Everything!" Bryan explained exasperatedly as he gestured to the ruins around them "being good, fighting with honor, everything Mutou taught us doesn't work and it never will! That's why Saya is conquering the world and everyone we know is dead! It's also why I intend to find Saya and become his disciple. If you're smart, you'll join me."

"You can't be serious!" Juste exclaimed "you would join him and turn your back on the world!? I thought you had learned from your mistakes." "I have Bryan replied firmly "I've learned that I was a fool to change who I was and follow Mutou. Power and cruelty are the only ways to thrive in this world and Saya knows it. That's why our best bet is to side with him!"

"You're talking insanity" Juste said with pity in his voice "but if you truly plan on going through with this, it's my duty to stop you." He assumed a fighting stance and prepared for an attack but none came. Bryan merely positioned his hands in front of his face in an odd way. "You're a fool Juste" he said with what sounded like genuine regret "maybe one day you'll see the truth but until then, here's one last gift in the name of friendship. It's a technique I developed while you thought I was sitting idle…Solar Flare!"

Juste staggered back as he was blinded by the intense light Bryan generated. It seemed like forever until his sight returned and once it did, Bryan was gone. All that was left was an empty room and a photograph. Juste picked the later up and was surprised to find that it was from the day they found Idoshikachou. It was also the day that Juste believed had cemented the friendship between two former rivals, hence his insistence on the photo. Bryan grumbled the entire time, going along only to shut Juste up…or so it seemed. A sad smile crossed the young man's face as he remembered losing the photo the next day and eventually forgetting it.

Where just moments ago Juste believed he'd lost a friend and regained an enemy, there was now a sense of hope. The photo as well as the fact that Bryan had chosen to flee rather than fight was proof enough that the young man in the photo was not yet gone. With this in mind, Juste set out to find Korrin and save the world.  
The young martial artist traveled through the mountains to avoid the rampaging demons. Though he knew that more people were dying every day at their hands, he knew he could not risk challenging them just yet. Only the power of the sacred water could possibly assure his victory.

Finally, after weeks of travel, Juste came to Olibu's village, which was now called the Sacred Land of Marlon. The natives were a kind people who were quite impressed with his determination to climb their legendary tower and defeat a demon. They offered the exhausted young man a bed for the night and promised to take him to his destination the next day. As he slept, Juste's dreams were haunted by Saya and her ilk.

At dawn the next day, a native called Kata lead Juste to Marlon's Tower. The young martial artist was amazed at the tower's height, sunlight glaring off his shades as he struggled to see the top. Kata noticed this and laughed slightly. "You seem surprised" he said "were you not told of our tower before coming here?"  
"I read all about it" Juste said somewhat indignantly "I just never expected it to be this tall." "It is supposed to reach the heavens, is it not?" Kata asked rhetorically "otherwise, how would Marlon have seen it?"

"I suppose" Juste admitted reluctantly as he looked at Kata and then back at the tower "I was just hoping that 'tall enough to reach the very heavens' was just hyperbole." Kata laughed again. "My people seldom exaggerate history, especially not their own." "Just my luck" Juste grumbled.

"Your hesitation is understandable" Kata said "many of our greatest warriors have declined this challenge upon hearing the stories alone. You're actually quite brave to have come this far, no shame in quiting." At that. Juste became solemn. "No! I'll never quit, not with so much at stake. I'll reach the top no matter what!"  
With that said, Juste latched onto the tower's base, hoisted himself up, and began to climb. He didn't know how much time passed. It felt like weeks, sometimes months, and maybe even years. Many times, he felt as though he would faint from exhaustion, losing his grip and falling to his doom. Only thoughts of his master and Bryan gave him the strength to continue.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Juste reached the top of the tower. He was so exhausted that he felt like he could barely stand but was too excited to care. "I DID IT! I ACTUALLY DID IT! I CLIMBED Marlon's TOWER!"

"Yeah, yeah, congratulations and all that but keep it down, will ya?" Juste was suddenly aware that someone was standing right in front of him. It was a cat, a cat with white fur standing upright like a human and clutching a wooden staff much too large for it in it's left paw. This didn't shock Juste too much as "animal-type" and "monster-type" humans had begun appearing on Earth for at least two centuries by then, something to do with evolution, magic, or a combination of the two. There was even a shape-shifting school for those who wanted to better blend in. What Juste was confused about was what the cat was doing on Marlon's Tower.  
"Uh...Who are you?" The cat looked annoyed at Juste's question. "Who do I look like, Whiskers the Wonder Cat? I'm Marlon!"

Juste was even more confused now. "You're Marlon?" "Yes, of course I'm Marlon, who else would I be?" "As in Marlon, God of Martial Arts?" "Well, maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration but sure." "But you're…a cat." "Yeah, and you're human. What's your point?"

Juste was at a loss for words until an idea struck him. "Oh, I get it now, you're in disguise. The whole cat thing is just a trick to test whoever climbs up here, isn't it it? Nice Job, I was really fooled for a while."

Marlon responded to Juste's "brilliant observation" by whacking him with his oversized staff. "Listen you, I'm Marlon and I'm a cat. I have always been a cat during the eight hundred years I've been alive. My fur used to be blue when I was young but then I aged and that's the only change I've ever been through, got it!? "Uh…yes Master Marlon." "Good, now who are you?"

"My name is Juste sir" the young man said with a bow "I'm a student of Master Mutou." "Oh, a martial artist eh? Well since you're the first person ever to actually climb up here, I suppose you want this?" Marlon suddenly produced a water bottle and Juste's eyes widened beneath his shades. "The sacred water" he gasped "oh thank you Master Marlon!"

"Not so fast" Marlon said as he yanked the water away suddenly "you haven't yet passed my test." "What!? B-but I did!" Juste objected "I climbed the tower, that's all the book said to do!"

Marlon raised an eyebrow. "Book? Don't believe everything you read kid. If you want the water,you'll have to catch me and take it from me." "But Master Marlon, you can't be serious!" Juste practically whined "I've traveled so far and climbed for so long! I haven't eaten or slept since I can remember and I feel like I could die any minute!"

"I have just the thing for that" Marlon said as he flicked something towards the young martial artist. Juste caught it on instinct and saw it was a small bean. "That is a healing bean" Marlon explained "a single one can heal most wounds and restore one's energy completely. It's the only food you'll need for the next ten days."

Juste wanted to be skeptical but he doubted it would do much good. He popped the bean into his mouth and a moment later, felt energy explode through him. "Wow, I feel incredible!" Juste exclaimed as he flexed his rejuvenated muscles "it's like I could train nonstop for days without rest!" "Glad to hear it" Marlon said impatiently "now shall we begin?"

"Okay" Juste said confidently as he crouched down to strike "but the way I feel, this shouldn't take long." The young martial leaped towards Marlon with lightning swiftness, hands outstretched to grab the unmoving cat. At the last second, Marlon flickered out of existence and Juste sprawled face first onto the tile floor. "Well be that as it may, I certainly hope you can humor me a bit longer" The cat laughed from his new place behind him"I haven't that much fun since I was a kitten."

Juste got to his feet and looked on in shock. "How did…?" "I call it the After-image technique" Marlon explained "just a little something I invented to pass the time. You get bored rather easy up here,especially after you've been here as long as I have. Care to try again?"

And so began Juste's time with his new master, trying day in and day out to earn the sacred water. Along the way, he also learned the After-Image Technique but still was not fast enough to catch Marlon. The cat was able to look into his mind and know his every thought and move. He was even able to hypnotize the young martial artial into believing the water was a poisonous snake after Juste attempted to steal it while he slept. While Juste couldn't master these moves as hard as he tried, he did find himself becoming adept at sensing another's chi and even controlling his own.

Finally, after three long years, the now twenty-two year old Juste was able to catch Marlon. The cat calmly handed over the bottle and the young martial artist eagerly drank his long awaited prize. But something wasn't right. Juste had expected to feel power explode through his entire being, strength to take on hundreds of demons at once. Instead, he felt the same. "Something's wrong" the young martial artist told Marlon "the sacred water isn't working. Is there something else I've missed?"  
Marlon smiled. "It's like I said kid,don't believe everything you read. The water you drank is just ordinary water from the village spring and there's nothing sacred about that place." "What!? You mean you've lied to me for three years!?" "Do you feel stronger?" Marlon asked the angry Juste cooly.

"Well…yeah, I actually do" Juste admitted after a moment "but how did…? "You got stronger from all the training you've done up here, not to mention the climb." Marlon explained "didn't you notice what I was teaching you?

Juste thought for a moment and actually laughed at the realization. In the past three years, he'd learned chi sensing, the After-Image Technique, finally grasped "Spirit Power" and who knew what else without even knowing it. It almost felt like learning from Mutou.

With his student ready to depart, Marlon presented him with some final gifts. First, a bag of healing beans, which despite having an acquired taste, was what kept Juste going for three years straight. Then Marlon surprised Juste by handing him the Power Pole,which he had learned was Son Wukong's signature weapon. "It was mine first" Marlon grumbled when Juste asked "I created it long ago and lost it on the same day. It got used about a thousand times before Wukong found it and made himself famous. Going to retrieve it after he died was one of the few times I've come down from here."

"Was it Saya who killed him?" Juste asked, wanting to verify Mutou's suspicions. "He…played a role in things" Marlon replied vaguely "I was gone and back too fast to even be sensed so I can't be sure who or what I glimpsed that day but I suspect it was him. But that's in the past anyway, what matters is beating him now and here's one last thing that will help you do it."

Marlon gave a low whistle and somewhere in Heaven, a giant yellow cloud stirred. It flew through the After-life at impressive speed, entering deep space and Earth's atmosphere before coming to a stop at the Tower. A smaller cloud then broke away from it and floated over to the cat who summoned it. "This is a Flying Cloud" Marlon explained to an amazed Juste"only the pure of heart can ride them so I hope you meet it's standards."

"What do you mean 'it's' standards?" Juste asked uneasily "you mean it decides whether I can ride it or not?" Marlon nodded. "Somehow it just knows." Juste gulped. He knew "pure of heart" could mean things other than one's morality and his father the priest had emphathised many times over that his pervert nature was very unpure. "Isn't there another way?"

"I know you're worried and you probably should be" Marlon admitted "but the good news is that not all the Flying Cloud are the same. Some will let even the biggest pervs ride them as long as they keep their heads out of the gutter during flight. Hell, one of them even came to Earth without my permission and let Son Wukong ride and believe me, he was far from pure."

Juste almost felt the urge to defend the man who had been his mentor's own mentor but didn't. Instead, he focused on Marlon's words and stared determinedly at the the Flying Cloud. 'I'm pure enough' he mentally decided 'it's not like I'm exactly the same as I was before. I'm a serious martial artist now and I've put my perverted ways behind me to save the world.' With this in mind, Juste ran toward the cloud and jumped on. He found it carried his weight easily despite being small.

"Well, this one sure isn't picky" Marlon muttered as he beheld the Flying Cloud' choice. "What was that Master Marlon?" "Oh! Uh…good luck kid" Marlon said outloud "remember that the Flying Cloud will come no matter what as long as you call. Juste nodded and gave the cat one final bow before addressing his new companion. "Alright the Flying Cloud, take me to Saya!"

The flying cloud sped away at inhuman speed, prompting an excited yelp from Juste. Marlon watched them go and inwardly prayed for their survival. A part of him wished he had told Juste about the true Ultra Divine Water and the power it granted but doubted the young man would meet it's nearly impossible standards. That and he had been forbidden centuries ago by the Kami of the time, the woman who gave the water it's power and lost her beloved son during it's first test. Marlon could still remember how distraught she was and how hurriedly she's passed the job onto her successor, the previous Kami, almost immediately. He only hoped the current Kami had a plan to deal with Saya because from what Marlon had sensed of the self-proclaimed Deat, Juste'sh Queen training wasn't nearly enough.

At that moment, Saya's demons wrecking havoc the heart of an abandoned city. They had wiped out the population some months ago and now used it as their personal playground, destroying what was still standing for their own amusement. They had also developed a fascination with cars, the most advanced technology of Juste's day, and would often attempt to take apart any abandoned vehicles they came across. Unfortunately, the simple minded demons often tried to eat the parts as well.

Harp and Cello, as named by their grandfather, were two demons with a particular fondness for this activity. They had just spotted a rather attractive blue convertible and were attempting to crawl onto it when Juste appeared. Leaping off the Flying Cloud as it passed by, the young Martial artist landed on top of the car and batted the two demons away with the Power Pole. Without missing a beat, he then leaped into the air and raised the pole above his head with a cry of "Power Pole, extend!"  
The magical pole grew in length and came crashing down upon both demons' heads with such force that their skulls caved in. As their dead bodies hit the ground, their brothers took notice. Who was this human with strength enough to kill them?

Juste jumped off the car and continued to swing at the demons, knocking them into half demolished buildings that collapsed seconds later. While this killed a few, others just kept coming in an attempt to swarm the young martial artist. He responded to this by sheathing the Power Pole and proceeding to fire a full spread of chi blasts that struck the demons full force. Not a single one was left standing.

Juste was left gasping for breath after that, both exhausted and amazed at the first real use of his new abilities. He felt like he could take on anything…until he sensed a high and very sinister chi above him. He looked up and his blood ran cold: Saya herself hovered in the air before her. The Death Queen was actually applauding as she stared down at the young man with fiery eyes.

"Very good" Saya hissed as he touched down "nice and thorough. You actually saved me the trouble of destroying the little pests myself. As entertaining as they were for a while, they were beginning to become more trouble then they were worth. I honestly wonder what Trumpet was thinking when he bred such inferior spawn,don't you?"

"Do you know who I am?" Juste asked coldly, ignoring the Death Queen's words. Saya chuckled. "Should I? I believe I would remember a human as strong as you."  
Juste unsheathed the Power Pole at that point, extending it as he spoke. "I am the son of Furu and Ruby I, the younger brother of fortuneteller Ruby II. I am the last student of Master Mutou and the first person to climb the legendary Marlon's Tower. I am Juste and I am your destroyer!"

Juste charged the Demon King and leaped into the air, intending to give him the same fate as his grandchildren. Just before the Power Pole came down however, Saya caught it effortlessly. "Like I said" she hissed to the young martial artist "you're good but not good enough!"

Saya hurled Juste to the ground, the Power Cane landing several feet away. The Death Queen then leaped into the air herself and prepared to come down upon her young nemesis. Juste was quick however and rolled out of the way in time. 'This is it' the young martial artist thought as he got to his feet 'what I've trained three years for. I can't hold back anything! It's time to go all out!'

With these thoughts in mind, Juste assumed a power-up stance. He began concentrating intensely, struggling to bring his chi to the surface. Despite his vast improvements under Marlon, what he was attempting was a strain on even the strongest warriors. Saya made no move to stop him and seemed amused by his efforts.  
After several moments, Juste's muscles began to bulge out, swelling in size and ripping his shirt. It continued until the formerly fit yet slender young man was a massive muscled hulk, his clothes reduced to shreds. This was his Max Power Form, something he had stumbled onto while training with Marlon though he had not realized it's full potential until that moment. "Think I'm good enough now?" Saya smirked and got into a fighting stance, her own muscles bulking up to a lesser degree. "Let's find out."

The two clashed then and there and as they traded blows, Juste had a clear advantage. He pummeled the Death Queen mercilessly and relished every minute of it, each blow reminding him of a fallen comrade. After several minutes of this, he decided to end it the only way he knew how: the Tri-beam.

Cupping his hands just as he had seen his peers do many times before, Juste proceeded to charge the legendary attack. He knew it was potentially fatal but he didn't care. Anything to rid the world of the Death Queen. Focusing his gaze upon his target, who was just getting to his feet after the last attack, Juste yelled out "THIS IS THE END FOR YOU Saya,IT'S OVER!"

The Tri-Beam erupted from Juste's hands and hit it's target full force. The flash it created was so bright that the young martial artist's shades offered no protection at all. When it faded, a large crater had formed and Saya was gone.

When he found no trace of the Death Queen's chi, Juste breathed a sigh of relief. At long last, it was finally over after years of destruction. At least, this was what he believed until he heard mocking laughter from behind him. His still developing chi sense had let him down, kicking in too late for him to avoid the hard knee to his back.

Juste was knocked into the crater and scrambled to his feet to see a very alive Saya sneering at him. "NO! IT CAN'T BE, IT JUST CAN'T! I PUT EVERYTHING I HAD INTO THAT ATTACK!"

Saya laughed. "Indeed, it was quite powerful but it was also rather easy to dodge. That's the fatal flaw of this transformation of yours, sacrificing speed for power."  
"I may be slower now but I can still beat you easy !" Juste yelled out as he charged the Death Queen once more, summoning what leftover power he had . This time however, their fortunes were reversed as Saya thrashed the young martial artist with little effort. Juste's own attacks were too slow and avoided easily. He ended up being slammed into the crater he had made for a second time in a span of minutes. With the Death Queen's laughter ringing in his ears, the young martial artist lay there in pain as his muscles deflated back to normal. 'What happened!?' Juste thought frantically 'I was tearing him apart before!'

Saya stopped laughing long enough to answer Juste's unspoken question. "This really has been an amusing battle" he sneered "it was almost worth holding back so much just to see what you could do. In fact, why don't I show you just how outclassed you really were?"

So saying, the Demon King started to power up. A massive aura erupted around him in seconds, bits of electricity crackling around it. Juste could now sense that Saya was easily three times stronger than his Max Power form and his heart sank with despair. He had been toyed with from the start.

Saya laughed again even as her body began to expand and grow. He soon towered over Juste in the Great Empress form, ready to crush the helpless martial artist where he lay. "I'm going to give you quite a memorable death Vermilion,savor it while you can." But Juste ignored the Death Queen's words. They didn't matter, nothing did.

'It's over' Juste thought bleakly 'I've failed everyone. Even after all I did, I wasn't strong enough. Please, forgive me master.' This were what was meant to be the young martal artist's final thoughts before Saya literally ground him beneath her heel.

At the last moment however, a chi blast struck the Demon King from behind, causing him to turn away from Juste. "Who dares!?" Saya looked down to see Master Mutou staring up at him, a quiet confidence in his aged features and an electric rice cooker tucked under his arm.

"Hello Saya" Mutou said cooly "it's been a while." At the sound of his master's voice, Juste almost went into shock. Could it be? He had given up any and all hope of ever seeing Mutou again,particularly after Marlon confirmed that Juste truly was the first and only person to climb his tower.

Saya did not share Juste's amazement however. Rather, he seemed bored with the sight of the old master. "Oh, it's you" the Death Queen grunted "didn't I kill you already?"

"You may have damaged my body Saya, but not my spirit!" Mutou cried valiantly "I swore I would find the means to stop you and I have!" As he spoke, the old master placed the rice cooker in front of him. Saya noticed this and laughed for the third time that day.

" Oh you have, have you? Do you mean to prepare rice for me as a peace offereing? I'm sorry to tell you that food means very little to me, as would any gift you offer. The only thing I desire is the world!"

As Saya spoke, Juste became desperate to aid his mentor. With all his remaining strength, he crawled to the other side of the crater where his bag of healing beans lay. If he could just heal, then he and Mutou could win together,they had too! Finally reaching the bag and popping a bean into his mouth, the young martial artist quickly healed and leaped from the crater to aid Mutou.

As Saya prepared to stomp the old master out of existence however, Mutou began powering up until his entire body began to glow with chi. He the raised his hands and yelled out "Mafuba!" A monstrous spiral wave of green energy erupted from Mutou's hands and wrapped around Saya's body, effectively ensnaring him. The Demon King let out a surprised yell as the strange technique sapped his strength and forced him to resume his normal size.

The Death Queen was soon hovering in the air before Mutou, wrapped up in bonds of chi and struggling to break free. Despite her considerable strength however, he was completely trapped. "WHAT IS THIS!?" Saya snarled "WHAT KIND OF TRICK HAVE YOU PULLED!?"

"This is no trick Saya" Mutou answered "it is the Mafuba, or Evil Containment Wave if you prefer. No dark soul can escape this technique so long as they are properly sealed away and this rice cooker will be your tomb forever!" Saya turned his gaze towards the object in question and noticed it bore his symbol before Mutou directed his attack down inside it.

"THIS ISN'T OVER!" Saya shrieked even as she was sealed away "I WILL RETURN ONE DAY AND STRIKE DOWN EVERY MARTIAL ARTIST ON THIS EARTH! NONE WILL CONTAIN ME EVER AGAIN!"

These were Saya's last words as she was trapped in the rice cooker. Something deep inside told Mutou that Saya would one day carry out her threat but it didn't matter right now. The battle for Earth was finally over.

Juste lowered his hands from his face as the intense glow of the Mafuba faded. As he laid eyes upon Mutou placing the Rice Cooker's lid back on, he felt more joy than he ever thought possible. "YOU DID IT MASTER, YOU DEFEATED Saya!"

Mutou didn't answer. Instead, he groaned in pain and fell backwards into his student's arms. "Master,what's wrong!? Did Saya injure you somehow?"

Mutou chuckled weakly. "No Juste, this is merely the price I pay to insure Earth's protection. The Mafuba requires the wielder to donate all of their life force in order to perform it correctly and that is what I have done. I can't think of a greater cause for which to give my life."

Juste was horrified. "No master, please! You can't die after all you've done, I need you! The world needs you!"

"The world will soon welcome a new generation Juste, one that will need YOUR guidance, not mine." Mutou replied firmly despite his fading strength "it is the way of destiny." Juste wasn't listening, instead allowing his tears to flow freely. He knew the truth of his mentor's words but could not bring himself to face it.

"I-I can save you" the young martial artist choked out after a moment "You don't have to die." He reached into his pouch and retrieved a healing bean, holding it out with a shaking hand. "Just take one of these beans" Juste said in a voice that sounded like pleading "they have magic that can heal anyone. Please, just take it!"  
Mutou didn't take the bean. Instead, he merely smiled knowingly. "Have faith Juste" the old master whispered "one day, you shall be a legend." With these final words, the legendary Mutou, master of martial arts and defender of Earth, closed his eyes and went limp in his student's arms.

"MASTER!" Juste's anguished cry echoed throughout the deserted city, heard only by two sets of divine ears. One was Marlon, who silently lamented the limitations of his senzu beans, and the other was Saya's counterpart, Earth's current Kami, whose heart was heavy with guilt. How could it not be when such a noble warrior had died because of his cowardice?

In the time between casting off his evil half and the Demon King's rampage, Tenshi's good half had worked tirelessly to end the crisis he'd created. While it should have been a simple matter to find and kill Saya before any damage was done, the link between them insured that if one died, the other would follow and deep in his heart, Kami knew he could not bring himself to end his own life no matter how selfish he was being.

To this end, Kami created the Mafuba, a technique that would trap his counterpart forever, keeping them both alive while preventing Saya from doing harm. Butwhen he discovered the fatal flaw in his technique and determined it would take several years to correct, his fear and selfishness resurfaced. Someone else, far more noble than he, would have to be Earth's savior.

He found Mutou on sacred ground, once walked upon by the greatest warriors of ages past. The old master had spent the last few years enduring physical,mental, and emotional Hell, training to achieve the level of power that would end the Demon King's reign. Too many times had he come close to death and just as many times had he come up short. It was this kind of dedication and selflessness that made Kami make his choice and feel nothing but self loathing while doing it.

He appeared to Mutou in person, a a rarity for onein the office of Kami and something that in his experience, only sparked fear and hatred in those he encountered. The old master noticed the resemblance to Saya straight away and attacked with such ferocity that the Guardian was overwhelmed despite his greater strength. Kami was tempted to let Mutou kill him for the briefest of seconds but his cowardice won out once more. He wove a tale of half-truths that cited Saya as his rogue brother and whose greater strength prevented Kami from facing him directly. This was true for the most part as Tenshi's separation had been uneven, giving Kami magic and a clear memory of his unified self's life while Saya had retained more in the way of raw power. This was just one of the excuses Kami would later use to justify his actions that day.

Once Mutou had calmed enough to accept this story, he was taught the secret of the Mafuba and the price one paid to perform it. The fact that the old master accepted these terms without hesitation only endeared him to Kami more and filled the Guardian with self loathing. Despite this, he did not hesite to teleport back to the Lookout after bringing the old master to the site of his final battle and arming him only with the Rice cooker created by magic materialization.

As he watched Mutou's pupil mourn, the Guardian was now filled with only one thought: redemption. He may have failed in his duty to stop Saya but he would not fail to help the Earth recover from this ordeal. He would find a way to give it's people hope tn the event that an even worse evil would one day surface and he woud do so by correcting one of his original self's greatest mistakes. With great resolve, he turned on his heel and marched inside the palace. There was a vault in the back that held exactly what he needed.  
…  
One week later, Juste buried Mutou on the grounds of his old academy. It seemed fitting that the old master's final resting place would be somewhere he'd given his life to. Juste gave a brief eulogy, thanking his mentor for his teaching and guidance and promising that he would uphold his legacy to the best of his abilities, even if he wasn't sure he could. It was during this speech that the young martial artist suddenly sensed another chi nearby.

"Whoever you are, come out now" Juste ordered as he assumed a fighting stance "I don't want to hurt you but I will if need be!" An arrogant chuckle was the response. "As if you could."

Juste raised an eyebrow. He knew that voice but it shouldn't have been possible, not after so long. Any disbelief faded seconds later however, when Bryan emerged from behind a nearby tree. "Hello Juste, it's been a while."

At the sight of his old comrade, Juste was dumbstruck. This was quickly replaced by anger as he recalled what was last said between them nearly four years ago. "What are you doing here!? Have you come to get revenge for your master Saya!?"

"I never joined him" Bryan replied quietly "his demons attacked me the minute I approached and I barely escaped with my life. I have been in hiding these last few years alongside my brother Tao, trying to survive each day. I only came here today because I heard that Saya was killed not long ago."

"Not killed" Juste replied stiffly" sealed away. The master gave his life to trap him forever, as you can plainly see." Even as he spoke, the young martial artist remembered the aftermath of the great battle, how he used the flying cloud to fly Saya's prison to the farthest ocean he could find and toss it into the depths below. He only hoped no one would ever find it and try to unleash the evil within.

Bryan studied the makeshift grave Juste had created for several moments, his face impassive. "I am sorry for your loss Juste but hopefully, this will convince you to accept my offer more readily." Juste raised an eyebrow at that and as he did, took in Bryan fully for the first time. The Lion Master's son had regrown his hair and taken to wearing shades again but he also sported a new dark green gi with the symbol of the crane embedded on the front and back. "What kind of offer?"

"My master's School was destroyed long ago and the survivors have elected to follow another" Bryan explained with a note of bitterness in his voice "to that end, my brother and I have begun to create our own school, the Valentine Family Martial Arts School located in Los Angles,CA, and I wish for you to join us. Together,we shall train the finest army of fighters the world has ever seen ."

Anger immediately flashed over Juste's face. "You can't be serious! After all that's happened, you still expect me to turn my back on what I've learned!? I thought you came to me because you changed Bryan!"

"I came here because I thought you were finally ready to listen to reason Juste." Bryan replied in an equally agitated tone "surely Mutou's failure has convinced you how feeble his teachings were." "Failure!? He beat Saya!" Juste yelled as his composure evaporated "he beat him while you and your brother were cowering in the gutter somewhere!"

"Yes, but for how long!?" Bryan responded "he still wasn't strong to beat Saya, let alone kill him as he should. Who's to say Saya won't rise again!? Who's to say someone worse won't replace her!?"

"If and when that happens, I'll be ready" Juste replied resolutely "I'll never stop training until I'm strong enough to beat any evil!" Bryan scoffed at this statement. "With your soft heart, you'll never be strong enough" he claimed "nor will any students foolish enough to train under you!"

"And as long as your heart is full of hatred, you'll never be a true master!" Juste snapped back "what will YOU do if a new threat comes, join it as you tried to do with Saya!?"

"That was foolish" Bryan admitted "but I will not allow soft heartedness to rule me as it did for Mutou. If the day comes when I must act in defense of the world, I must be as ruthless as my adversary. This is something I'd hoped you would learn my friend."

"If this is the path you've chosen, we're no longer friends!" Juste proclaimed "those days are over!" The young martial artist's voice held finality but regret shone clearly in his eyes. It was clear that the young man who had been his rival, his best friend, was now on the path to becoming his worst enemy.

"Yes, it would seem they are." In contrast to Juste, Bryan's voice held no emotion as he spoke these words, his face as hard and unchanging as stone. These were also the only words he spoke before turning on his heel and walking away. Juste knew he would see Bryan again but the man he called a friend no longer existed, perhaps he never had.

With this in mind, Juste forced himself to become solemn. It was time to leave the past behind and he knew of only one way to do it. It time to move to Sacramento he love it here but it's time to move on and focus on taking care of his family.

Hours later the Vermilion's drove to a small, city. It was beautiful in it's own way and populated with snowy mountains. Juste looked around for several moments, taking in the fact that he was by his family. He knew then that the small town would be his home and his family, where he would train in solitude to defend the world and honor Mutou. He would be the devil of California.

Later Juste become of the most martial arts assassin ever along his wife Haruka and the rest of the family they move to South Lake Tahoe,Ca to live a quiet life however this was only the begging of Juste's life.

Ten years after the defeat of Sayao, the world was slowly starting to heal but a new crisis was just on the horizon. The various rulers and nobles of Earth had grown increasingly paranoid after demons usurped their thrones and sought to secure their power by any and all means possible. They soon began warring with one another in an effort to expand their empires and the severely reduced population of Earth found itself in peril once again. One particular ruler was a blue goblin named Emperor Tsung of the Rice Dynasty, whose family had ruled their empire for generations through the use of robotic mecha. Tsung was the most ruthless and power hungry of his line and would stop at nothing to have the mightiest kingdom of all. In fact, one of his first moves during the war was to capture the great kingdom of Kyouda, a feat which earned him the respect of even his enemies.

Tsung's best general was a blue dog named Ako. While he was a fine soldier, he despised war and had only joined the army after the Emperor threatened his wife and son. Each gory battle he fought and every life he was forced to take filled him with self loathing and he dreamed of a day when peace returned and Tsung was no more.

One day while on patrol in a recently captured village, Akio overheard an elderly woman tell her grandchildren the legend of the Power Gems and how they could grant any wish. He knew that if Emperor Tsung discovered such power, he would use it to gain ultimate victory in the war. He also knew that such power could be used to bring about the peace he longed for. That night, he made his choice.

The next day, Emperor Tsung was outraged to hear his best general had turned against his own troops and gone awal. He turned all his resources towards finding Akio and making him pay, as well as finding the Power Gems once he discovered their power. Meanwhile, the other rulers had gathered together and come up with their own unique solution to ending the war.

Because only a select few had the technology to match the Rice Dynasty's mecha suits, other kingdoms had to rely on manpower alone. To this end, the best martial artists in the world were employed by various nobles to train soldiers and serve as generals. With Baht pulling out of the war to pursue his rogue general, the fighting was more evenly matched and the entire conflict soon became deadlocked. It eventually boiled down to one question: who had hired the better master?  
After much debate, it was decided that the masters would face each other in combat. Whoever defeated all the others would be declared the strongest on Earth and secure victory for the kingdom they represented. All present agreed and returned home to select their champions. In two week's time, the masters would meet on Angel Island, home of an ancient sect of Sholin Monks.

Around that same time, another great martial artist was doing his best to avoid such confrontations. Juste had spent the last ten years on South lake Tahoe with his family far away, seeking only to train and grow strong. He had chopped down most of the forest's trees to make a huge home for his family but he lived modestly, away from any modern conveniences. He even wore the same gi he had ten years ago and the only other item of clothing he wore were his old glasses, which he resumed wearing due to the private beach's lack of shade.

One day as Juste sat in his home meditating, he sensed a very familiar chi. A moment later, he heard a very familiar and very annoying voice. "Juste GET OUT HERE, YOU LAZY GOOD FOR NOTHING!"

The martial arist mentally groaned. Of course, SHE would be the one to find him in the middle of nowhere. Juste reluctantly climbed to his feet and walked outside to see Ruby floating before him. "Took you long enough" she grumbled "wasn't it enough that it took weeks for me to find you? You have to keep me waiting too!?"  
"Nice to see you again sister, to what do I owe the pleasure?" Though Juste was attempting to be aloof and sarcastic, he was weary inside. Ruby's last visit had changed his life forever.

The old fortune teller scowled at her brother but didn't comment. Instead, she materialized a large red and gold egg in her hands. "Here" she said gruffly "despite the fact that you fail to show any interest in your family whatsoever, mother and father insisted on you having this."

Juste knew that his sister was carrying the egg of a phoenix, the immortal fire bird of legend. Their parents had been given the responsibility of caring for one by the spirits centuries ago in exchange for it extending their lives and if they continued to do so,they would become immortal. The pheonix's egg was eventually given to Ruby to continue the cycle and now it seemed a third phoenix had been born.

"Thank you Ruby" Juste said as he took the egg "now why are you really here? Looking into your mind, I can sense you're deeply troubled. What's wrong? Has Saya escaped?"

Ruby shook her head. "Nothing like that, though it could be just as serious. The world has been at war for the past two years Juste and things have taken a rather ugly turn." The old fortune teller proceeded to go into detail about the feuding kingdoms and the hired martial artists. She then used her crystal ball to show her brother the coming weeks and the tournament that would take place therein. Juste immediately took notice of the fighter from a private country Mifan. He was particular brutal in his methods and though he hid his face behind a hooded cloak, the former pupil of Mutou felt he knew him from somewhere.

"That man will win if no one else enters" Ruby told her brother "he's the emperor's most trusted advisor as well as his champion and will turn Mifan into a tyrannical empire with his influence. I've seen it happen."

"Then it's a good thing the future isn't written in stone" Juste proclaimed valiantly "in two weeks, I'll enter that tournament and make sure Mifan doesn't win!" "You'll have to go today if you want to enter" Ruby said dryly "the monks who organized the thing have limits to how many fighters can participate and they've already narrowed it down to eight slots, seven of which are already taken."

Juste fell over and then stood up to yell at his sister. "THAT COULD'VE BEEN USEFUL INFORMATION A FEW WEEKS AGO! WHY DIDN'T YOU VISIT ME THEN!?"  
"I have a business to run you know" Ruby reminded her brother "and for your information, I've been quite busy lately. I recently added King Yemma, the judge of the dead himself, to my clientel. He's worked out a new system that allows worthy souls to come back to life for a day and I-"  
"Never mind that!" Juste snapped "just where is the tournament being held anyway?" Ruby scowled but looked into her crystal ball to answer her brother's question. "Angel Island, a few thousand miles north of here."

Juste nodded and then yelled out "Flying Cloud!" The mystic cloud arrived promptly as usual and Juste called out his destination as he mounted, soaring away at impossible speeds. Ruby watched him go and rolled her eyes. Not only did she not get any thanks as usual but he completely forgot the phoenix egg. If the old fortune teller hadn't seen her brother's future so many times over the centuries, she'd never have believed what he'd accomplish after today. The parts she played to make sure fate stayed on track were unbearable at times. As she lifted the egg up to carry it into Juste's home, she made the decision not to tell him about the tainted birdseed.  
…  
Thanks to his airplane' speed, Juste reached Angel Island located next to San Francisco within hours. It was much larger than his home and true to it's name,ripe with Angel trees. However, the most impressive site was the temple that easily covered every square inch of it's home and stretched upward to the heavens itself. It was surrounded on all sides by statues of fierce warrior monks, the same ones responsible for it's construction many centuries ago.

Juste hopped off the plane and approached the Temple's main gate. A burly looking monk with a short beard similar to the one Juste had started to grow stood guard in front of it. The martial artist was a bit intimidated by the man's size and the considerable power level he put out but attempted to remain stoic. This wasn't easy, especially when the monk eyed him for the first time and gave him a glare that would make Saya herself uneasy.

"Who are you and what is your business here?" The monk's voice was deep and his tone was razor sharp. It was the kind that reminded Juste of the many bullies he'd faced in his life, from those back home who mocked his pervertedness as a boy to the peers at Mutou's academy who said he didn't belong. Luckily, he never listened to either of them.

Gathering his courage, the martial artist bowed respectfully to the monk. "I am Juste and I humbly request to participate in your tournament. The outcome of the war may depend on it!" The burly monk looked Juste up and down. It was clear he had heard such excuses before.

"You refer to yourself with no formal title and wear a simple gi" the monk noted "what sort of master are you?" This question stung more than any Juste had anticipated. He was no longer a student it was true but a master? As far as he was concerned, he could never have such a title.

"I'm not a master" Juste said truthfully "I have no students or a school." The monk's expression turned even more sour at this answer, if such a thing was possible. It was clear he didn't appreciate honesty as much as Juste hoped.

"Only a Master representing the kingdoms at war may fight" the monk rumbled "who are you to dobey such rules?" Juste felt fear rise up in him once more and almost backed away until he remembered why he was there.

"Please sir, though I am not a Master, I must enter! There's a great theat to everyone on this island that only I have a chance of stopping." It wasn't the whole truth as Juste had no idea if he could prevent the future Ruby saw but something inside was driving him to fight the warrior from Mifan. This seemed to make the monk even more furious.

"Alright Juste, you believe you deserve to be here? Prove it! All the Masters who have qualified for this tournament have lasted three minutes against me. Are you up to the challenge?"

Juste nodded and shifted into a fighting stance. Despite his nervousness, his resolve to fight in the tournament was unshakable. His opponent assumed his own stance and a heavy silence followed. It was clear that Juste was to make the first move.

The martial artist suddenly vanished in a blur and reappeared to deliver a kick to his opponent's head in midair. The monk was expecting this however and blocked it in the span of a second. Juste dropped down and attempted a sweep kick only for his rival to leap high in the air and yell "Thunder Bomber!" The monk's body was suddenly ablaze with red chi as he came crashing down at frightening speed. Juste rolled away just in time to avoid the attack and gasped in shock at the large crater that had been formed.

"Do you see what you're up against? Leave now befoe you embarrass yourself " the monk sneered. Juste responded by removing his gi top and assuming a power-up stance. "Not a chance!"

Juste powered up and his muscles began to inflate though not to any absurd degree. Because his Max Power form cost him too much in terms of speed, he had learned to access a less restraining mid-point state, using about seventy-five percent of his power at most. The full transformation was only to be used when raw strength was needed to win.

Juste then proceeded to hurl chi blasts that the large monk deflected with little effort. He eventually poured everything he had into a single big blast that was enough to make the monk stumble backwards. The bigger warrior seemed to become angry about this and assumed his own power-up stance, his hands igniting with crimson chi.

"So it would seem you have fight in you after all. That's good but it won't be enough to save you. Feel the wrath of my Concusion Wave!" As he said this, the monk clapped his glowing hands together and a crescent shaped wave or red energy shot from them. Juste managed to avoid the attack however and began charging his own. "Let's see how your 'Concusion Wave' stands up against the legendary Tri-beam!"

Juste fired the attack straight at the big monk but his opponent stood his ground. At the last minute, the monk let out a yell and the Tri-beam dissolved before it even touched him. "What the-? How did you do that!?" Juste yelled out.

The monk smirked. "It's called a Kiai, a technique that releases concentrated force" he explained "when used properly, it can disrupt weaker attacks. It can also cause great damage to a surrounding area so you're lucky I held back on it." Juste was shocked. "Weak!? The Tri-beam is legendary."

The monk shook his head. "Yeah, but it's also flawed and is mostly used as a stepping stone for developing new moves. No one uses it except as a last resort these days. Unless of course that's all you have, is it?"

"Well…uh-no!" Juste began "I've got some very impressive attacks in my repertoire but I don't feel up to showing them right now. This is only a spar after all." Truthfully, Juste knew very few attacks besides the Tri-beam and his high power chi blast. He had tried over the years to create his own signature attack but something kept holding him back. His Max Power form and it's restrained state were the biggest and only breakthroughs he'd made.

The monk didn't look convinced but nodded anyway. "Very well, you've passed the test and will be allowed the final spot in the tournament. You may not be a master but I believe an exception can be made in your case." Juste's expression brightened at that and he gave a humble bow "Thank you sir, I'm glad my skills speak for themselves."

The monk shrugged. "Yes, that and not many masters made the cut. Most of them have gone back to fighting whether their kings want it or not. Why do you think there are only eight slots?"

Juste fell over anime-style and after a moment, got up and groaned. "Well, that's not the most humiliating thing I've ever been told. I guess I'll see you in two weeks Mister…?" "The name is Orin, Master Orin to you."

Juste sweat-dropped a bit and gave a quick bow. "Oh, of course sir, my apologies. Well, I'd better get going. Flying Cloud!" The mystic cloud zipped by as his master hopped on and sped out of sight. Orin watched him go with a shake of his head. The day a guy like that became a master was the day monkies learned martial arts.  
…  
The village of Heiwa had never known real conflict. They lived so far out that the various rulers over the years had never really paid them much mine. As a result, they paid little taxes and were never recruited for any wars that got started. Some didn't even have a clue what "war" meant. One can imagine their surprise then when a former General of the Rice Dynasty raced through their streets with Emperor Baht's mecha suit army on his heels.

"GET BACK HERE AKIO! YOU'LL SWEAR LOYALTY TO ME OR YOU'LL WISH YOU'D NEVER BEEN BEEN BORN!" This was the voice of Emperor Baht himself, who personally lead his troops from his custom made Mech suit. If anything positive was to be said about the little goblin, it was that he wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty.

"The only wish I plan to make is an end to your tyranny Baht!" Akio yelled back fearlessly "and here's what I plan to do it with!" The former General held up his prize in clear view of his pursuers: the Four-Star Dragon Ball. Despite months of close calls, false leads, and near death experiencies, he had managed to track down five of the magic orbs and his recent acquisition meant only one remained.

The sight made Baht angry and he began firing a spray of bullets at the rogue soldier, cursing him all the while. Akio was swift however and easily avoided the attack despite it's close proximity, The chase eventually came to the edge of a cliff, where a small plane bearing the Rice Dynasty symbol sat waiting. Furry had stolen it on the day of his defection and had been using it ever since. Luckily, there were plenty of rebels in the Dynasty's empire willing to shelter him and keep the plane well-maintenance.

The humanoid dog leap in his plane and shot off just before Baht's forces reached him. With a sigh of relief, he tossed the Dragon Ball towards the back of the plane, where it landed in an untidy pile with the rest. He turned to look at them and felt a smile cross his face when they began to glow. "It won't be long now" he said to himself "soon, the war will be over."

"that's one thing we agree on." Akio turned to the sound of the familiar voice and was shocked to see Emperor Baht on his plane's video screen. "What do you want Baht? Have you finally decided to grovel for my return?"

Baht only smiled. "I wouldn't sound so cocky if I were you my old friend. As it stands, I have something you may want." "You're mad!" Akio scoffed "there's nothing you offer me." "Nothing? Not even your precious family?"

The image on the screen flickered and was replaced by Baht's soldiers holding a female dog and her two young sons captive. Akio recognized them immediately. "AYA!? JUNIOR!?"

The screen flickered back to Emperor Baht, whose smile had grown more viscious. "Looks like you forgot a few things when you betrayed me, doesn't it?" Akio was practically shaking with rage. "Just you wait Baht! There's only one Dragon Ball left and once I find it, I'll wish you out of existence!"

"Only one left you say? Dear me" Baht said mockingly "might it look something like this?" The Emperor held up a Reed Gemand Akio's anger gave way to horror. "The Red Power Gem,no!"

"If you want to see your family alive again, you will bring your Power Gems to my new castle in Kyouda." Baht ordered with a sneer "then you will use them to wish for my supreme dominion over Earth. If you fail to arrive within the next several days, your family will be executed, starting with the boy. I trust you will no be so careless with your choices this time."

The video screen went blank and Akio was left to wrestle with his emotions. He could not allow Baht to use the Power Gems but if he didn't, his wife and son would pay the price. They were the reason he served Baht in the first place, so how could he abandon them now? Steeling himself for what was to come, he rerouted his plane and set a course for Kyouda.  
…  
Juste sat on the beach meditating but found himself unable to focus. His nerves had been eating at him ever since he'd returned from Angel Island. What had he been thinking to enter this tournament? He'd seen his sister's crystal ball and knew how much the masters outstripped him, as well as Orin so why?

'The fighter from Mifan' the martial artist thought grimly 'I don't even know who he is and yet, I felt as though I was destined to face him. It's clear that I'm still too green to be considered a true master like Mutou. Even after all I've learned, there's something missing but what?'

Juste suddenly sensed someone approaching the island…or at least he thought so. The chi was so faint that it almost wasn't there. He received a surprise when a small turtle appeared from the water and swam it's way to shore. When the turtle noticed Juste, a frown crossed it's face.

"Hey,who are you and what are you doing on my island!?" "Your island!?" Juste, already agitated, asked incredulously "look buddy, I've lived here for ten years and I've never seen any turtles around here!"

"I was away for mating season! Even so, that's no reason to trespass, I was only gone a century!" Juste scoffed. "You expect me to believe a little thing like you is a hundred years old?" "Five hundred and eight" the turtle replied sharply "we have longer life spans than most and I've been on this island since I really was one hundred so clear out before I make you!"

Juste fought back the urge to laugh. This little thing with barely any power at all was actually threatening him! "Look little fella, I don't want any trouble so why not just leave? I'm sure there's another island around here somewhere." The turtle didn't respond and instead stood on it's hind legs in a fighting stance.

Juste sighed. "Alright then, if you insist on being stubborn…" The martial artist assumed his own half-hearted stance and motioned for the turtle to make the first move. The turtle responded by retracting his head and limbs into his shell, which seemed to hover in midair before performing a 180 degree turn and sending itself spinning towards Juste.

The martial artist was so surprised he didn't have time to react. Before he knew it, Juste was smacked in the face and sent tumbling to the ground. The turtle reemerged from his shell at the end of his assault and smirked. "Still think I'm a pushover? You're lucky I'm not a snapping turtle."

Juste grunted as he picked himself up. "Alright, so you're tougher than you look but that trick won't work twice!" The martial artist throw a punch at the turtle, only to wince in pain as his fist connected with a hard shell. He grew frustrated and tried again and again with the same result. Whenever he attempted a blow to the turtle's head, the creature would simply retract it again.

Juste began to grow tired. He was actually panting with exhaustion! 'It's unbelievable' he thought 'this turtle barely has any power and I can't land a hit! It's almost like…he's exactly who I need!'

With this revelation, Juste stopped his attacks. The turtle however, merely pressed his advantage. "Hey! Ow! Listen-ouch! Can't we talk for a second?" "Giving up won't help you!"

The turtle continued to slap the martal artist with his flippers. Juste blocked as best he could but it was harder than expected. After several minutes of this, he was finally to duck down and perform a sweep kick. The surprised turtle was sent toppling down and landed on it's back.

"Hey, no fair! I can't get up! The turtle squirmed about helplessly for a few moments before Juste smiled and helped him get up right. "I guess I win but you know, I am sorry. I had no idea anyone else lived here."

The turtle glared at Juste for a brief moment but then, his expression softened. "Yeah, okay, I guess I understand that. I sometimes forget a century is a long time to some people. But did you really have to cut down so many trees?"

"Sorry again" Juste muttered apologetically "but I needed a house. I can't live in a shell you know." The turtle chuckled. "You should give it a try sometime" he said "it's pretty cozy."

"And tough" Juste added "where did you even learn to fight like that?" The turtle shrugged. "When you're slow, you gotta learn to survive."

"Well, you're very good at it" Juste said with a chuckle "you were kicking my tail and you barely have any chi." The turtle raised an eyebrow, clearly not knowing what chi was. "Uh…thanks? You know, I usually don't pick fights, I was just really stressed out. My mate gave birth to a son just before I came here."

"You have a family? Well now, I feel even worse" Juste groaned "I suppose asking you to teach me is out of the question?" "What,why?" "Because the world may depend on it."

Juste proceeded to go into detail about the tournament and his stake in it. He even found himself opening up about his past and the battle against Saya. The turtle listened in solemn silence, finally shedding a tear when the martial artist finished his story. "That's the saddest story I've heard in a long time" he said "I'll help however I can but I don't think you can ever learn my moves. They aren't really for humans."

"That's okay" Juste insisted "I just need to learn enough to improve my technique. Any wisdom you pass on will be helpful. By the way, you know my name but what's yours? I can't just call you 'turtle' if we do this."

The turtle thought of this for a moment. It seemed no one had ever asked him this before. Finally, he said "you can call me Umizumi and as for wisdom, you might just need a shell after all."

And so, Juste began training in earnest. He created a false turtle shell to add weight when he did his exercises and incorporated as much of Umizumi's technique as he could into his own. By the end of two weeks, he was proficient in the newly dubbed "turtle style" and ready for the tournament.

When the big day came, Juste awoke at dawn and bid farewell to Umizumi. Despite only knowing one another a short while, a close friendship had blossomed between them. "Thank you for all your help" he said as he mounted Flying Cloud "I'm sorry I underestimated you before. You'd think I'd learn by now after three years of being trained by a cat."

"Don't worry about it" Umizumi said with a chuckle "just go out there and win this thing will ya?" Juste smiled resolutely and nodded. "I will" he said just as Flying Cloud ushered him away "that's a promise!"  
…  
The trip to Angel Island was shorter than Juste remembered. As he landed, he immediately noticed seven others standing before the gate and arguing with Orin. The big monk caught sight of him and said "ah good, the last entry has arrived. I will tell the Elders you are here and they will summon you when they are ready to begin."  
Orin gave each fighter a respectful bow and disappeared behind the gate. The moment he did, seven of them turned to glare at the newest arrival. Juste couldn't help but shrink under the gazes. The one from Mifan, the one whom he'd come to stop, seemed to glare at him the most underneath his hood.

One of the fighters, a big burly man with long golden hair and a matching beard, walked up to the martial artist and scoffed. "This is who they kept us waiting for? What a joke! Who exactly are you runt?"

Juste gulped but did his best to gather his courage. "I am Juste Vermilion, The Devil of California , who are you?" The man let out a condescending chuckle at the question. "Who am I? Why I am the legendary Shirogane, master of the great Lion style and it's school. Surely you have heard the tales?"

Juste actually had heard of someone named Shirogane from Bryan long ago. He was supposedly the best pupil of the old Lion School and Bryan's chief rival for his father's affections. It was clear that he was the one who forced Bryan to found his own school. Another fighter, a sultry looking woman with flaming red hair streaked with white hair, gave a scoff of her own and pulled Juste from his thoughts.

"Nobody wants to hear more of your bragging you dumb ape! Besides, I think our new friend here is quite cute." The woman saunted over to Juste and leaned in close, making him blush. Even in his old pervert days, he never could handle being oogled himself.

"I'm Fox, mistress of the Fox Style, but you can call me Kit" the female fighter whispered in Juste's ear "I sure hope you and I aren't paired up. It would be such a shame to destroy such a handsome face." Juste gulped once more and felt a nose bleed coming on when the gate opened up and Orin returned, four elderly monks trailing behind him.

Everyone suddenly stood at attention and bowed before the new arrivals. Juste followed suit after a sharp glare from Orin. The oldest looking monk chuckled softly at the display and stepped forward. "Welcome fighters, to Angel Island. We are the Elders and welcome you to the Grand Strength Budokai."  
…  
After days of travel, Akio had finally arrived in Kyouda. He was seized immediately by Baht's guards and taken to the palace. It was there that he was forced to kneel before his former emperor. The little blue goblin sneered down at him from his throne.

"Well, well, what have we here? It seems my little stray dog has returned to his master. I'm so relieved that they weren't forced to put you down." Baht's voice grew hard as he said this and a malicious gleam entered his eye. It was clear that he meant to intimidate his captor but Akio would not give him the satisfaction, continuing to stare in silence at the tile floor.

Before anything more could be said, a guard entered. "What is it!?" Baht snapped "I gave strict orders to be left alone with the prisoner!"

"Forgive me my Emperor" the guard said with a bow "but the men have arrived with the magical balls the traitor had in his possession." As if on cue, more guards entered, each one carrying a Dragon Ball. Baht's eyes lit up at the sight. "Splendid! Get the other one out and put them all in place."

The guards obeyed and placed the mystic orbs on the floor while another moved towards a pillar on the far side of the room. On top of this pillar sat a glass case in which the One-Star Ball sat on a velvet pillow. This, the final Dragon Ball, was the key to Emperor Baht's ultimate triumph.

Akio was able to steal a glace just as as all seven Power Gems were put in place. As they began to glow, his heart sank. He had failed everyone.

Baht turned back to his former general and walked over, giving him a violent kick in the side. "Get up! You have one last service to perform for me before you're punished for your treason!"

Akio finally looked up at his former Emperor, his gaze questioning. "Forgotten already?" Baht asked with a sneer "YOU collected most of these balls and YOU shall wish for my ultimate victory. If and ONLY if I am pleased with the results will I consider allowing you to live."

"NEVER!" Akio shouted as his fire returned "My life is worth it to keep you from ruling the Earth!" Baht did not grow angry at this defiance, but rather amused. "Your life might be, but what about your wife and son?"

Akio's rage gave way to horror at these words. In his anger, he had actually forgotten his reason for being there. "NO! My emperor, please spare them and take my life, they've done nothing to deserve this!"

"Ah, back to being loyal now, are we?" Baht asked with an evil chuckle "too little, too late! You will die for your treachery, but only after your wife and brat! However, I am feeling generous today…" So saying, Baht turned his gaze towards a guard. "Take the General to the same dungeon as his family" he ordered "let them spend their last night alive together!"  
,,,  
The Elders of Angel Island lead the eight fighters to the courtyard of the temple, where a makeshift arena had been prepared. It was a simple dirt circle but much larger than anyone expected. If Juste had to guess, he'd say it was at least as large as the ring at Mutou's academy. The others were less than impressed.

"This is the ring?" Shirogane scoffed "what a joke! A fighter of my caliber deserves better!" The others said nothing but the looks on their faces betrayed similar thoughts.

"It is not the size the ring that matters young warrior,but the soul of the fighters within" one of the Elders replied calmly "now please allow Orin to explain a few things. Orin, if you would?

The large monk nodded and turned to address the fighters. "This tournament was originally designed a way to broker peace between the warring kingdoms but because only a VERY select few actually EARNED the right to be here, many have chosen to ignore this edict. Therefore, the winner of this tournament will be selected to act as a diplomat and end this war through as peaceful means as possible. It's a task I suggest not taking lightly. Secondly, this tournament will last four days with two matches per day until the final rounds. The Elders have made arrangements with a nearby village to offer you lodgings for the remainder of your time here. Thirdly, there are to be no weapons allowed in this tournament and no killing. Finally, all matches will be chosen at random and only end when one fighter is beaten, gives up, or exits the ring. Any attempts to violate these rules will be dealt with by me, understood?"

The fighters nodded though only Juste seemed intimidated. He could swear Orin was looking straight at him during the whole speech! "The fighters for the first match will now be chosen" one of the elders suddenly announced as he gestured towards a large storage bin "step forward and pick a number. Whoever has corresponding numbers will be paired against each other. The fighters who win their matches will be part of the finals on the final day of the tournament."

Each fighter went up and drew their number as instructed. They then gave their numbers to the Elders and waited for a decision to be made. Finally, Orin stepped forward and announced "the first match will be Master Shirogane against The Rose Master! Step into the ring and begin!"

Juste froze when he heard those words. 'Did he just say Rose Master!? It can't be!' The Turtle Master knew these thoughts were in vain however when he saw the hooded fighter from Mifan step into the ring with Shirogane. 'Of course' Juste thought grimly as realization dawned on him 'how could I not have seen it before…!?'  
A gong suddenly sounded and the match began. Shirogane let out a roar and pounced much like his namesake but The Rose Master surprised him by raising his hands to his hooded face and yelling "SOLAR FLARE!" Instantly, a great flash of light erupted forth and blinded the Lion Master, who was so startled that he dropped to earth in mid-pounce.

Juste scowled at the dirty tactic, remembering it from years ago. It was clear that Rose Master was just as he remembered. As he watched Shirogane struggle to his feet, he found himself rooting for the arrogant Lion Master to win.

"So, you blinded me huh? What a cheap coward's trick!" Shirogane snarled as he rubbed his blurry eyes "no matter, it will give me the opportunity to prove I can beat you with my eyes closed!" The Lion Master, his eyes actually closed,threw a barrage of punches that The Rose Master easily avoided before unleashing a roundhouse kick that sent the him flying.

Shirogane almost went out of the ring but was able to stop himself at the last second. His vision restored, he glared at The Rose Master. "I can see again now weakling, so consider that kick a free shot. It's the only one you'll have!"

The Lion Master assumed a power-up stance, his muscles bulging slightly as he did so. "Lion's Roar!" A beam or orange chi erupted from Shirogane's mouth as he cried out, zeroing in on The Rose Master. The hooded fighter didn't budge this time.

Just as the attack struck, The Rose Master flickered out of existence. Juste's jaw nearly dropped at the familiar ploy. 'It can't be' he thought 'was that the After-Image technique!?"

Shirogane was just as shocked when The Rose Master was suddenly behind him…and angry. "Enough tricks, fight like a man!" The Rose Master merely smirked beneath his hood.

'Very well, but not before my grand finale.' Shirogane's eyes widened at the sound of the voice in his head but was even more shocked by The Rose Master crossing his arms over his chest and causing a duplicate of himself to split from his body. Two more followed in short order until there were four Rose Masters. Each one surrounded Shirogane in a tight circle and prevented him from escaping.

The Lion Master was horrified. "W-what are you!?"The Rose Master-all of them-remained silent. They merely smirked and launched themselves at Shirogane, hammering him with all their might. By the time the four Rose Masters had merged back into one, the Lion Master fell to the floor in a crumpld heap.  
A minute or so later, one of the Elders stepped forward. "Master Shirogane has been defeated" he announced "Rose Master has won the bout and will advance! Let Masters Fox and Ochiro ener the ring for the next bout!"

The Rose Master gave a bow and exited the ring while Fox and the hulking Rhino Master took their places. Juste made no effort to focus on the fight, instead watching the hooded fighter briskly exit the courtyard. Fustrated, he approached Orin. "You're not going to stop him!?"

The big monk raised an eyebrow. "What for? He won his fight for the day and none of you really have to stay after that. Personally, I'd prefer it if YOU didn't stay at all."  
"Rose Master shouldn't even be allowed to compete! He blinded his opponent and used ruthless tactics to win!" Juste protested, ignoring Orin's insult.

"Ruthless? Yes. Illeagal? No." Orin countered "he did nothing to violate the rules set for this tournament. If you have such a problem with him, I suggest working hard enough so that you'll face him in the future." With that, the big monk turned on his heel and stalked off, leaving Juste to fume.

"Oh, I plan to" the Turtle Master muttered to himself "count on it!" A loud yell suddenly caught Juste's attention and he turned back to the ring to see Fox hurl Ochiro out. The Kitsune Master may have been petite but she was clearly stronger than she looked. Juste was quite Impressed.

Fox bowed to the Elders and left the ring, winking at Juste as she passed him. The Turtle Master felt a blush enter his cheeks. "…Though I can't help but feel it might be a bit more complicated than I originally thought."  
…  
As Juste contemplated his next move, so did Akio. The former General waited in his cell until the guards, as lazy as they were ruthless, had fallen asleep on duty. He then signaled his family to stop pretending to be asleep on the other side of the cell and approach him.

"We don't have much time" Akio told his wife "If my plan works, Baht will be distracted for a few days but you must leave now if you're to have any chance of escape." So saying, the blue dog turned towards a nearby wall and pressed down on a certain spot. The entire wall slid aside to reveal a dark passageway.

"My grandfather once served under a previous ruler of Kyouda" Akio explained to his surprised wife "when I was a boy, he showed me this passage and how it lead to a series of underground tunnels that the king would use to escape in times of revolt. If I'm right, this should lead you outside. Once tthere, head to the forest and there will be a plane waiting to take you and Junior to safety."

Aya glanced towards the passageway and back to her husband, eyes clouded with worry and fear. "But what about you? How will you escape?"

Akio's face turned grim. "Navigating the tunnels will take several days' time" he said "I must keep Baht distracted during that time. If it's meant to be, we'll find each other again someday."

"NO!" Aya exclaimed as tears fell from her eyes "Baht's kept our family apart long enough! I won't leave you!"

"You must" Akio replied, his voice gentle but firm as he clutched his wife's shoulders "it's the only way you'll be safe." The former general then kneeled down and called out "Junior, come here."

The small blue dog hesitantly released his grip on his mother's dress and walked up to his father to be embraced in a hug. A moment later, he began to sob. Akio patted his back gently and did his best to calm him.

"Don't be afraid now my son" Akio said in a hushed voice "the time has come for you to be strong. If anything does happen to me today, you must look after your mother and protect her. Can you do that?"

Junior nodded his head slowly. As though he was unsure. Akio merely chuckled. "I know you can" he said sincerely before planting a kiss on the boy's forehead "now hurry, we don't have much time."

Aya and her son rushed out of the cell and down the passage as quickly as they could. The minute he was sure they were out of sight, Akio sealed the passage and turned to pick up a small pebble. He threw the pebble at the door of his cell with just enough force to wake the sleeping guard. "Wake up! I want you to tell the Emperor I must see him immediately."

A few minutes later, the former General was kneeling before Baht, secretly praying that his family hadn't looked back. He'd been lucky enough that the dimwitted guard had released him without noticing the absence of two prisoners but now came the true test in ensuring their survival: outwitting the head of the Rice Dynasty. Though arrogant, the Emperor was as cunning as he was ruthless.

"So Akio, I take it you have finally come to your senses? Otherwise, I see no justification for you waking me at this unholy hour. Don't you know the importance of beauty sleep!?"

Akio resisted the urge to roll his eyes at the goblin's vanity. "Forgive me my lord but I have indeed seen the error of my ways. It will be an honor to aid you in the ultimate conquest. But I fear I mislead you on the nature of the Power Gems."

This caught Baht's attention and he leaned forward in his throne, eyes narrowing dangerously. "And how exactly was I mislead Akio? You gather them and get a wish, correct?"

"Well yes, but in my travels, I came across another part of the legend that states they must be gathered in a certain spot to work, many hundred miles west of here." Akio told this lie with a straight a face as he could muster as Baht studied him. Everything was riding on the goblin's next sentence.

"You could be lying" Baht said after what felt like an eternity "but why would you? You're far too smart to try anything after I defeated you so easily." Akio gave a relieved sigh under his breath. He could always trust the Emperor to be overconfident in the face of victory.

"You there, Guard!" Baht snapped "bring me a map of the territory and be quick about it! We must plot our next course of action, and I do mean course." The Emperor chuckled at his own bad joke while the guard rushed to grant his request.

The guard returned a few minutes later with a map of the Kyoudai territory. Baht studied it feverishly for a few minutes before he came to a stopping point. "Of course, the Forest of Might! The very forest from which the warrior who founded Kyouda lived with his clan. I can't think of a more fitting location."

Baht turned his attention to Akio and forced him to look at the map. "The Forest is the farthest thing west in this territory. Tell me Akio, is this the spot you mentioned?" Akio gazed at the map for a long moment, taking note of the distance involved before nodding vigorously.

"Hmmm…it will take several days time even with our fastest aircraft" Baht mused, secretly confirming his former General's hopes "but it matter not! We leave tonight!"  
…  
The next day on Angel Island, Juste reported for his first fight against Master Anaco, the Snake Master. Anaco was known for swift and leathel attacks that made him a credit to his namesake. His most famous move was his Venom Punch, which could block chi and paralyze body parts for at least an hour. Juste knew he would go for the kill straight away.

The gong sounded and this was proven true as Anaco lunged forward to use his Venom Punch. The Turtle Master wasn't proud of it but he found himself copying The Rose Master and using the After-image technique at the last moment. The Snake Master couldn't stop himself and tripped out of bounds. This trick was noticed by Wami, the thickly muscled and bald master of the Alligator Style and eventually, the winner of the day's second match. 'This Juste and Rose Master are not like the others' he thought as he exited the ring 'I'll have to be a bit more clever if I'm to win.'

The third day was a momentous occasions as Master Usagi of the Rabbit style faced Master Torou of the Tiger Style in the semi-final round. Torou was similar to Shirogane in terms of boasting and aggression while Usagi was uncharacteristically meek for a man in his profession but was famous for a speed. Their opposing natures and the symbolic mismatch of their very fighting styles guaranteed an interesting bout.

The gong sounded and Usagi immediately flew into a panic. He began darting around the ring in a desperate attempt to escape the attacking Tiger Master. The two eventually crashed into each other and were sent flying out of the ring, disqualifying them both. An interesting bout indeed.  
A moment later, the Elders gathered the remaining fighters together for an important announcement. "Tomorrow will be the final round of our grand tournament" the leader announced "you four will face each other for the ultimate prize of being Earth's champion. The matches will be as followed: Juste vs. Fox and Wami vs. Rose Master. The winners of these bouts will face one another in a battle royale. Go now and spend your last night as friends because what happens tomorrow cannot be undone."  
The four fighters bowed and left to do as instructed. As they walked however, Juste winced as a very familiar voice entered his head. 'They're right you know, what happens tomorrow can't be undone and I intend to do what I should have done years ago!'

That evening, Juste returned to the island village he currently stayed at and went to the local tavern. His nerves were on edge about tomorrow and drink was the only thing that would calm them. Unfortunately, his opponent had similar ideas and slid up to him coyly on the stool next to his.

"Putting it away pretty hard there aren't you? Fox commented as the Turtle Master finished his second drink "you better be careful. I want you nice and alert for tomorrow."

Juste did his best not to blush at this comment, or reveal how turned on he was by the female fighter. "They've been watered down well enough" he said as he gestured towards his empty mug "I shouldn't even be here really. I took a vow ten years ago to give up material pleasures like alchohol but my nerves got the best of me tonight."

"And why is that? Nervous about facing a woman?" Fox asked playfully "don't be. I've fought plenty of men in my time and I think you'll find me quite a challenge. I don't intend to hold back even if you are cute."

"Oh, I know better than to underestimate women" Juste replied as cooly as he could "but there's a lot riding on this tournament and the pressure is almost unbearable." Fox looked at him sympathetically for a moment before a more seductive gleam entered her eyes. "Poor thing…let me see if I can ease some of that stress for you."

The Kitsune Master suddenly stood up and began massaging Juste's shoulders. As she leaned in close, he could feel her hot breath on his neck and his life flashed before his eyes, specifically his old pervert life. It began with the time he was about eight and accidently wandered into the women's side of the village bathing house during one of his parents' many boring social functions and ended with his firstst few years under Mutou. In those days, he would regularly challenge the female students to spar as an excuse to pat bottoms or touch breasts. The later would sometimes lead to gi tops being ripped and leaving these breasts on full display.  
Then, there came the nose bleeds, which lead to bleeding in other places and Mutou enforcing a strict rule against intergender sparring. It was these memories that reminded Juste of the reason he lead his current lifestyle and he abruptly wrenched himself from Fox's pleasing grasp, abelt half-heartedly.

"I'm sorry" he said "believe me, I really am, but this is really inappriate given our current relationship. We're rivals and we must try to treat each other as such until the tournament ends. Besides, while you are certainly attractive, I view you simply as a fellow warrior and not some sorts of means to satisfy my physical needs." Many, many years down the road, when Juste reaccounted this story to Goku and the rest of his closest friends, they wouldn't believe their ears, but the young Juste was perfectly seriously, even though he was regretting it the whole time.

To her credit, Fox wasn't angry, but amused at his efforts. "You're no fun" she said with a playful pout "guess I'll have to teach you how to relax after I kick your butt tomorrow." The female fighter excused herself then and Juste couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm quite looking forward to that."  
…  
Fox walked confidently through the deserted streets to the home she was currently boarding at. It was quite a distance from the tavern but she had nothing to fear. One didn't gain a reputation as one of Earth's strongest women without bashing in the heads of a few would-be rapists along the way.

She was so accustomed to beating would-be preadators that when she heard footsteps behind her, the Kitsune Master instinctively fell into a fighting stance as she turned around. What she didn't expect to find was the Alligator Master leering at her with a grin like his namesake. "Out late tonight, aren't you Fox?"  
"I shoud say the same to you. You don't exactly look like the night owl type" Fox noted, only slightly relaxing her stance. Wami's grin widened.

"Not owl, Alligator, remember?" The martial artist chuckled at his own bad joke and Fox rolled her eyes. "Why are you really here? You should know I'm not the type to need an escort."

Wami's eyes narrowed just slightly then, a dangerous glint appearing in them. "Are you sure? You can never be certain what's out there, waiting and watching…just itching to take a BITE out of you!"

The Alligator Master suddenly leaped forward, drawing a knife from pocket of his gi pants. He slashed downward, only to be disarmed with a swift kick and flipped over his target's shoulder onto his back not a second later. Fox looked at him with a mix of distant and pity. "A knife, really? I could handle that move after my first week under Master Suwan. From the stories I'd heard, I thought you'd be more creative than this."

Wami got to his feet and chuckled slightly. "How odd, you don't seem at all surprised that I tried this. Am I really that predictable?"

"Like I said, I've heard things, obviously more than those monks have, or else they'd never have let you in this tournament. At the very least, I'll get the satisfaction of beating you a day early." Fox said a smirk as she readjusted her stance.

Wami assumed a power-up stance and chuckled again. "You can try." He began concentrating until his eyes began to glow a bright red, instantly becoming more narrow. At the same time, his skin turned green, becoming tough and scaly while his teeth became razor sharp. In this powered up state, he had secured victory over his opponent, Master Ruijin'en of the Ape Style, and was nearly twice as strong. Fox was unafraid however.  
"And I thought you couldn't get any uglier." Wami roared in the face of this insult and lunged, opening his jaws wide in an effort to literally take a bite out of his rival. The Kitsune Master waited until the last moment to perform a graceful summersault through the air, narrowly avoiding her attacker and flipping over his back as he landed face first first on the ground.

"So are we done warming up yet? I'm in the mood to get serious" Fox taunted as she assumed her own power-up stance. Her body soon started to glow bright with pink chi as she jumped up and performed a flying kick. "Nine-tails Kick!"

Her attack struck Wami hard in the chest and sent him flying into a nearby wall. His thick hide absorbed all the damage however and he was soon on the attack again. The two Masters were soon trading blows at a furious pace. Though he was exceptionably durable now, the Alligator Master found Fox was faster, more agile, and stronger than he expected. He wasn't dominating the fight like he usually did after transforming and it frustrated him.

This frustration came to a boil when Fox hammered him with a series of punches and followed up with a long range chi attack. "Vixen Bolt!" The bright pink beam erupted from out stretched fingers and managed to catch Wami in the shoulder as he attempted to dodge, causing him to yell out in pain. He clutched his injured shoulder and was surprised to feel something wet. A quick look at his hand revealed it was blood.

"YOU…YOU MADE ME BLEED! NOBODY MAKES ME BLEED WHEN I'M IN THIS STATE!" Wami bellowed in rage and disbelief. Fox merely smirked.  
"Looks like I just did hon, but don't look so surprised. I did beat the Rhino Master after all." Wami was shaking with anger now. "YOU'LL PAY FOR THAT, YOU-!" A powerful chi blast suddenly landed between the two fighters, creating a large crater between them. They looked up to see the hooded figure of Rose Master hovering above them in silence.

The mysterious fighter slowly floated towards the two rivals like a sort of phantom. He landed in front of Wami and wordlessly pulled him behind him. "Well, what do we have here?" Fox asked with a smirk "looks like mean old mr. Alligator has a bodyguard. Too afraid to take on a woman alone?"

Wami growled in response and was ready to attack again but Rose Master continued to hold him back. Fox chuckled at the sight. "Well, I'll be glad to take you both out, might make a halfway decent warmup for tomorrow anyway."

The Kitsune Master rushed forward and prepared to deliver a chop to The Rose Master's neck. The hooded fighter assumed a strange stance then and his body began glowing with bright green chi. He thrust his hands forward, palms open, and Fox suddenly froze!

"Finish her!" Wami jerked back in surprise at the sound of the strange new voice. After a moment, he peered at The Rose Master with slightly widened eyes. "Hey, you can talk! Then how come-?" "NOW!"

Wami didn't bother to ask any more questions and ran towards his opponent. He was ready to lay her out with a quick punch when he caught sight of her face, contorted into a mask of extreme pain. For a moment, Wami felt a rare stab of guilt but pushed it aside. He had come too far to question The Rose Master now.  
Fox was knocked out with one hit, the pained look on her face fading as she was. Rose Master approached a moment later to inspect Wami's handiwork. "A moment longer and I would have lost my hold on her! Do you want this plan of ours to succeed or not!?"

"Of course I do! I just wasn''t expecting you to speak after all this time or that kind of trick. What was that anyway?" Wami asked The Rose Master while trying not to sound nervous.

"Telekenesis" the hooded fighter responded "the royal family of Mifan are naturally gifted in psychic techniques and taught me when I joined their court. Admittably, I'm not that proficient in any of them except telepathy but I know enough to be useful against my enemies." Wami nodded numbly while still looking unsure at Fox's prone figure.

"She looked to be in such pain" the Alligator Master noted "is being paralysed really that bad?" The Rose Master shrugged indifferently. "A little damage to the internal organs can't do much to a woman like her. Now hurry, we must prepare the raft before morning comes."

The two martial artists carried Fox's body to the shore and placed her on the raft in question. She was to be set adrift towards some other neighboring island and taken in until the tournament was over, along with Juste. It would then be down to The Rose Master and Wami, who would throw the fight in exchange for a high rank in Mifan's army. This was the deal that had been worked out when the two more infamous participants in the tournament had come together just the day before. Wami had no desire to be any ambassador of peace but he could definitely live with working under someone who had such great influence in one of the world's mightiest kingdoms.

"So, what's the plan for Juste? He's obviously going to be stronger than her and she was no slouch." Wami pointed out as they finished securing Fox with rope. The Rose Master didn't respond and his partner looked up to realize he was gone.

The Alligator Master looked around in confusion but saw no sign of the hooded martial artist. He suddenly had a bad feeling in the pit of his stomach and began backing up nervously even as he assumed a defensive stance. "Rose Master, where are you? This isn't funny!"

Wami suddenly felt himself bump into something behind him and received a swift chop to the neck before he was even aware of it. Down he went, leaving The Rose Master to stand over his unconscious form. "Apoligies Wami, but your usefulness has come to an abrupt end. The only one fit to deal with Juste is me, as it always has been."

The mysterious fighter reached into his cloak and pulled out a vial of strange brown liquid. It had taken much gold and several weeks worth of waiting to procure it from a self proclaimed alchemist in Mifan, but it would all be woth it. Hidden by his hood, an evil smirk stretched out across The Rose Master's lips.  
He quickly made his way to the tavern and slipped in through the back door, years of assassin training with his brother making him virtually undetectable to the staff. He saw the keg from which the drinks were being served was unattended and knew it was time to make his move. Approaching the keg from one side, the mysterious fighter took a stance and began focusing his chi. Once this was done, he performed a swift slicing motion with a single, glowing finger. This punctured a hole in the side of the keg that would go unnoticed but proved just large enough to pour the contents of the vial inside.

The Rose Master chuckled as his plan was set in motion. Juste would surely convince himself to have one more drink before settling up for the night and once he did, the potion would take effect and cause him to become as drunk as possible no matter how watered down his drink was! The potion was also made to be tasteless, odorless, and virtually undetectable. No one would suspect any trickery and Juste would forever shame himself before the masters of the world.

With these thoughts in mind, the mysterious fighter vanished into the night just before a group of waitresses approached the keg. Juste was indeed one of there customers and though he had sensed Rose Master's presence, he dismissed it as nerves before tossing back his last drink of the night. He payed his tab and quietly left the tavern for his current lodgings, feeling just a little light headed as he did.

The next day, the Elders of Angel Island were in an uproar as three of their finalists had gone missing. The Rose Master stood in the shadows, silently observing as they instructed Orin to form a search party and growing impatient. If Juste didn't appear soon, all his plans would be for nothing! His wish was granted a moment later when a clearly intoxicated Turtle Master staggered into the courtyard and looked around in a confused daze.

"Hey, where is everybody?" Juste drawled out "is the tournament over? Did I win?" The sight of the drunk martial artist drew many angry and annoyed glares, particularly from Orin. "You" the big monk ground out through clenched teeth "why am I not surprised by this? I knew you were unfit to be here from the start! I should destroy you myself for disgracing us this way!"

The intoxicated Juste was not intimidated however and merely scoffed. "You and what army? I'm sick of your insults! It's time you and me had it out!" The Turtle Master hurled a weak punch that missed it's target and tripped in the process, tripping and falling on his face in the process.

Orin roughly pulled Juste to his feet and lifted him up by the collar. He then cocked back his huge fist in preparation for a punch of his own. "I won't lie" the big monk said with a sneer "I'm really going to enjoy this!" "ENOUGH!" The sharp reprimand of the wisest Elder rang throughout the courtyard "I will not have two warriors disgrace this place today. Now is not the time for petty bickering!"

Orin hesitated a bit, then gave a solemn nod. He dropped Juste roughly on the floor then excused himself at his master's silent command. The Elder then fixed the Turtle Master with a stern glare as the later drunkenly got to his feet. "I won't bother with a lecture but I will say I am disappointed. To think Mutou always spoke so highly of you when he wrote to us."

This statement was enough to get through the fog of Juste's intoxicated mind, in only for a minute. "Huh? You knew-!" The other Elders approached the Turtle Master from behind and roughly shoved him into the ring. The Elder who reprimanded him stood outside and motioned for Rose Master to enter the circle as well."In light of recent events, the Tournament will proceed as follows: Turtle Master and Rose Master will face one another for three rounds, best two out of three wins. Each round will last one hour and be determined by either a knock out, one fighter giving up, or the amount of damage you inflict on your opponent before your time's up. Are you ready?"

Rose Master nodded while Juste just looked confused. The Elder looked directly at the later and said "whatever happens now, you brought upon yourself. Perhaps this will teach you the importance of proper conduct. Begin!"

The sound of the gong echoed throughout the courtyard as The Rose Master struck, rushing forward and delivering an open palm strike to Juste's chest, roughly pushing him backwards. The intoxicated Turtle Master stumbled a bit but surprisingly did not leave the ring. "Oh, you wanna get rough huh? Okay then, bring it on tough guy!"

Juste took a comical stance that only seemed to showcase his drunken state. Rose Master, not even bothering to even pretend to be serious, calmly walked forward and took a swing at his foe. To his great shock however, it missed. Juste had actually managed to evade the attack by stumbling around in a drunken stupor!

To add further insult, Juste began frailing his arms about in wild swings and actually hit Rose Master. When the hooded fighter tried to attack again, the Turtle Master stumbled back out of his grasp and continued to land wild, unfocused hits. This continued for several minutes until Juste proceeded to get down on all fours and begin growling at his opponent like an angry dog. Everyone was confused by this bizarre behavior and even Rose Master was getting nervous.

'Juste's gone mad! This can't have anything to do with the potion I gave him' the hooded fighter thought frantically 'can it? ' He tried to remember what the alchemist had told him before he left Mifan, how the potion would have a rather adverse effect on the victim right before wearing off. Rose Master guessed this was it.

Juste continued to growl as he approached his opponent like a circling predator then leaped forward and actually bit Rose Master on the leg. The hooded fighter gave a loud cry of pain and began cursing as he tried to shake his foe off. The watching monks began to laugh out loud at the spectacle and even the Elders had a hard time keeping a straight face. Rose Master was eventually able to kick Juste away but before he could attack, the gong sounded.

"Time! Because Rose Master barely managed to land a hit, Turtle Master is the winner of the first round" Orin announced on behalf of the Elders. Rose Master was livid, unable to believe how his plan had backfired. Juste merely crumpled to the ground in a heap, snoring loudly as sleep overcame him.

When Juste awoke an hour or so later, his mind was clear. He remembered everything that had been done to him and who was responsible. Ignoring the pleas of the monks telling him he needed more rest, he marched into the courtyard to inform the Elders he was ready for the second round. Moments later, he once again faced his hooded rival in the dirt circle.

"You can take off that ridiculous disguise now" Juste said with roll of his eyes even as he took his stance "I know who you are." The Rose Master scoffed and removed his hooded cloak to reveal Bryan Valentine. The former pupil of Mutou looked roughly the same as he had a decade ago, save for the noticeable beginnings of a moustache on his features. Juste could also sense that his heart had grown darker since his time away though that in itself was obvious.

"Took you long enough Juste" Bryan said with a sneer "what gave me away? Taking off my cloak just now?" Juste immediately felt his anger rise at this remark. He'd forgotten how easy it was for his old rival to get to him.

"Shut up! I've known it was you this whole time and you knew that I knew! What I don't know is why you team up with a country like Mifan. From what I hear, the people are descended from vampires!"

"Jiang Shi if you please" Bryan replied cooly "and I could care less! Their mental powers are the most incredible the world has ever seen,not to mention that they are somehow virtually ageless. If I can become the Emperor's right hand after he wins this war, those secrets can be mine!"

"Even if it means such bloodshed? You're worse than before!" Juste cried out in disgust.

Bryan merely smirked. "If by 'worse', you mean 'even stronger' then you're right. I've learned things in the past few years our old master could only dream of! You'll see soon enough, I promise."

With these words, The Rose Master assumed a fighting stance. "Yeah, I guess I will" Juste muttered as he did the same. The gong soon sounded and a rivalry was resumed.

The two were evenly matched at first, trading blows at a speed only the Elders could follow. When they started using the after image technique, even Orin was impressed. Juste and Bryan eventually tired however and stopped to catch their breaths.

"Not so easy when you don't have the advantage of cheating is it? Hell, you couldn't even beat me after getting me drunk" Juste taunted with pleasure. Bryan grit his teeth in anger and the Turtle Master grinned. It felt good to leave his rival flustered for a change.

Bryan next moved on to using his bizarre four arms technique, which Juste later learned was called "the Four Witches" technique. Four fists came flying at the Turtle Master in a blind rage and he dodged each one. Juste then proceeded to use an odd little technique he invented while training with Umizumi. "Rock…" he began while nailing Bryan with a quick punch to the face, followed by an open palm strike to the same area. "Paper…scissors!" The third and final move in the set was poking both of the opponent's eyes with two fingers extended from the same hand. It was something Juste had seen in countless comedy films that always made him laugh.

Bryan however, was in no mood for such games and slapped the attack away before it reached him. "I'm still wearing shades you idiot!" "You stole that look from me!" Juste accused as he took a power-up stance. He bulked up to his Seventy-Five Percent Power form and began trading blows with his rival once more, even landing a vicious head butt at one point. The Rose Master was quicker than expected however and actually managed to catch a punch.

"You really have improved Juste" Bryan said with a mocking sneer "I'm almost impressed." The Rose Master squeezed his rival's hand in a vice like grip, making Juste cry out in pain. He then shocked the Turtle Master by powering up and lifting into the air.

"You can fly!?" Juste gasped out as his rival continued going higher. Bryan laughed. "I told you things had changed from our days with Master Mutou. It's a pity you didin't have the sense to follow me!"

The Rose Master then proceeded to spin Juste about in the air before hurling him to the earth below. The Turtle Master landed in the center of the ring with a groan and struggled to get up as Bryan hovered over him like a bird of prey.

"Heh, this is the most fun I've had in a long time. Pity it has to end but here's a little something to make it memorable" Bryan called out as he extended his pointer finger. Instantly, it began to glow with bright yellow chi. "This is something my brother and I developed together, the signature technique of the Rose School: Flower of Death!"

The powerful red beam shot out of Bryan's finger and zeroed in on the ring below. It didn't strike Juste but instead created an explosion next to him, sending him to the far edge of the ring and almost out of the bounds. The Turtle Master was fighting to keep from blacking out. "I…I give up!"

The gong sounded and Juste was again carried away by monks to heal. He lay on a small bed, battered and bruised with a massive headache. His resolve however, was unbreakable.

'I cannot lose the final round!' Juste thought 'but Bryan's new moves and power of flight are like nothing I was prepared for. How can I defeat someone whose advanced so far?'

"The answer, my young friend, is to simply advance yourself." Juste sat up with a start, ignoring the pain it caused him. The mysterious voice had not only read his thoughts but was eerily familiar. He turned and was shocked to see Master Mutou standing before him. "Hello Juste, it's good to see you."

"You can't really be here, can you!?" Juste gasped out "you're dead! You've been dead for over ten years."

Mutou nodded. "Yes, and I still am, as you can plainly see." Juste peered closer and saw his old mentor pointing to the halo hovering above his head. All the Turtle Master could think to say was "What, no wings and a harp?"

Mutou crossed his arms over his chest and raised an eyebrow. "After all you've witnessed in your life time, you really doubt this is possible? You who trained under the cat God of Martial Arts to defeat a Demon King?"

Juste couldn't argue that but he still had more questions. "But how? Why are you here?" His old mentor smiled softly then.

"You can thank your sister for that" he said "she has recently become a part-time assistant to King Yemma and convinced him to implement a system that allows good, worthy souls to return to the living world for one day. Thanks to my sacrifice to defeat Saya, I am the first to benefit from this new system. As for why I'm here, it's to help you."

"You've come back to defeat Bryan?" Juste asked hopefully even as Mutou shook his head. "No Juste, that is still your destiny and yours alone. I am here to help you realize your potential and to give you this." So saying. The old master tossed a senzu bean at Juste, who caught it on instinct and looked at it in wonder. It had been so long since he'd seen one, having used the last of his supply from Korin five years ago.

"But Master, the final round is going to start soon! How can I learn all you have to teach me in such a short time!?" Mutou chuckled lightly at Juste's question. "All you need to know is to look within yourself for the strength you need. Good Luck."

"Wait, what!?" Juste exclaimed as his master turned on his heel to leave "that's it!? What about helping me realize my full potential!?"

"I've done all I can" Mutou said with a shrug "the rest is up to you." With that, the old master was gone, leaving his former student dumbstruck. For several moments, all Juste could do was stare with his jaw hanging open.

"What do you mean 'all you can'!? YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!" Juste shouted in a rage, even though his old mentor couldn't hear.

A monk suddenly entered the room from the opposite way Mutou had come. "Hey, quiet down back here! You're expected in two minutes."

The monk turned and left without waiting for a reply, leaving Juste to stare dejectedly at the healing in his hand. "Well, at least he gave me this" the Turtle Master said with a frustrated sigh "might as well go down fighting." He swallowed the mystic bean in one gulp and was revitalized instantly. This usually filled him with a sense of confidence but now, he knew it wouldn't be enough. If he wanted to win, he would have to go all out.

He entered the courtyard and resisted the urge to roll his eyes when Bryan gave him a polite bow. Of course he would lay it on thick during the very last round. Juste could tell the Elders were smarter than his rival gave them credit for but just to play it safe, he returned the gesture. It was as fake and mechanical as humanly possible on both sides but it apparently satisfied the Elders because the gong was heard shortly after.

Juste started by immediately assuming a power-up stance. "You brought this on yourself" he grunted at Bryan through clenched teeth as he gathered his chi. A moment or so later, the Devil Master's muscles burst through his shirt as he reached his Max Power state. He looked over at his rival, half expecting him to be intimidated and the other half expecting Bryan to go through a similar change. Neither happened.

"That's impressive" Bryan said sarcastically "too bad Haruka wasn't here to see it." The mention of his wife struck a nerve with Juste and barreled towards his rival in a rage. He was pleasantly surprised however when the ensuing fight started out in his favor. The Turtle Master had never been able to overcome the speed handicap that came with his powered-up form but luckily, Bryan wasn't that much faster than he was. New confidence filled Juste at the thought of having an edge over his rival for the first time.

"C'mon Bryan, why don't you just fly away with your great new power? Running away when things get tough is what you do after all." Despite his taunting however, Juste could feel himself weakening. It had been a while since he'd spent so long at Max Power and his engorged muscles were burning with fatigue.

Bryan seemed to sense this and scoffed at his insult. "I don't need to run Juste, not when there's strength in numbers!" Using the Multi-form technique, The Rose Master created four duplicates of himself. All five of them began firing chi blasts from both hands in rapid succession, looking to overwhelm their longtime rival.  
Juste attempted to evade the assault but was too slow and caught most of the blasts. This, combined with the strain of having been at Max Power for so long, caused him to revert to his normal state. Bryan laughed triumphantly as his duplicates became one with him again.

"This has been fun Juste, just like the old days. So much fun in fact that I've decided to finish it with an old favorite: the Tri-beam!" The Rose Master cupped his hand in the familiar way and began charging his old trademark move. Juste could sense the amount of power behind it wasn't enough to kill him but it would definitely put him down for the count.

The Turtle Master would've normally started to panic at this point but not now. He worked too hard to give up now. The one thing he had going for him now was that Bryan was charging his Tri-beam slowly, to make his rival sweat a bit before the end. This gave Juste a small window of time to figure out a countermove.

'There's no way I can dodge' the Turtle Master concluded 'I can't move fast enough and levitating is out of the question. I could try that kiai move that Orin used on me but I've no clue how. It looks like the only way to even have a chance at winning is to fight back. Master Mutou said I would find the strength I need if I look inside. I hope he was right.'

With these thoughts in mind, Juste closed his eyes, though his shades hid this, and began to concentrate. He searched deep within himself and found there was indeed something great there. This power, if tapped a decade prior, might have been enough to defeat Saya without Mutou's sacrifice. Juste hoped it was enough now.  
The Turtle Master took hold of the power and sent it through his body. Prompted by some unknown force, he began moving his arms in rapid sweeping motions before cupping his hands to his right side. Already, he could feel the bright blue ball of chi starting to expand between his hands.

Bryan noticed his rival's odd behavior and scowled. 'What are you up to Juste?' Rose Master thought 'I can sense your power being focused into one spot. You're a fool if you think that will help!'

Juste could actually hear these thoughts but ignored them in favor of continuing to charge his new attack that his mentor the great Master Roshi thought him. He once again felt prompted to give it a name but what? He quickly remembered the name of his style and a name instantly popped into his mind. He began uttering each syllable slowly in the form of a chant: "Ka…me…ha…me…" The ball of blue chi expanded with each syllable, as did the power behind it. Bryan sensed it and actually started to panic for the first time in a long while. 'Where did he get such power!?' Juste heard this thought as well but didn't answer. Instead, he extended his hands and uttered the last syllable of his attack's name: "…Ha!"

A massive wave of blue chi erupted from the Turtle Master's hands just as Bryan fired his Tri-beam in a panic. The two blasts met in the middle and began pushing against one another. Juste and Rose Master poured every last bit of strength they had into the duel until one overpowered the other and a great flash occurred. When it faded, Juste stood tall, though he felt like he could collapse any minute, and Bryan lay in a crumpled heap outside the ring.

The gong sounded triumphantly as an Elder approached the Turtle Master. "The 1985 Valkyrie Densetsu Tournament is over, Master Juste is our champion!" Cheers rang out from the monks and even Orin seemed to approve but this went unnoticed by Juste. He was too busy staring out at the back of the courtyard. There, in the shadows, he could see Mutou staring back at him. His sister Ruby floated beside the old master, looking noticeably less sour than usual. This, coupled with the affirming nod from his mentor, brought a smile to Juste's lips. Maybe he truly was worthy of being a Master after all.

As the two otherworldly visitors faded from sight however, Juste's mood darkened. He realized there was still some loose ends that needed tying up. The Turtle Master excused himself from the Elder's presence and walked over to his recovering rival. "Alright Bryan, talk! I want some answers on what happened here today."

"You mean you wish to humiliate me further by having me admit you beat me?" Rose Master sneered "how unbecoming of a champion like yourself Juste." The Turtle Master was not amused. To avoid causing a scene, he replied telepathicly: 'you know what I mean, where are the others? Where are Wami and Fox?'

'Those fools? I sent them adrift last night. They should be miles away by now' Bryan replied, sounding smug even telepathicly. Juste remained stoic however, knowing he still had a chance to save them. 'One last question' he asked Bryan 'where did you learn the after-image technique? Did you climb Marlon's tower after all?'

'I'll never tell' Rose Master insisted stubbornly, unwilling to relive his incident with his helicopter. Juste asked no more and rushed out of the temple to the confusion of the Elders, knowing time was of the essence. As he did, Bryan sent him one last message: 'This isn't over Juste! I will be your superior one way or another!'  
Once outside the temple, the Devil Master leaped high into the air and bellowed "Flying Cloud!" The magic cloud was under him just seconds before he landed. Juste sat upon it, hovering in the air for several minutes, attempting to use his chi sensing abilities to hone in on his targets. He still hadn't mastered the skill and long distances made it especially difficult. After what felt like hours, he felt something but it was fading fast. It was obvious that they were on the move.

"Head in this direction Flying Cloud" Juste ordered as he pointed North "back the way we came. Use as much speed as you possibly can!" The Devil Master came to regret this command as he almost fell off the speeding mystic cloud but he kept his focus on finding his targets. He only hoped he wasn't too late to save them!  
Juste eventually found the raft only a few miles from his island home. He was surprised and mildly amused to find that Fox and Wami were sparring to pass the time. "If you're practicing for the tournament, sorry to say you're a bit late" he called down when he was close enough.

Fox had just kicked Wami backwards, nearly sending him off the raft, when she heard his call. She looked up at the smiling Turtle Master with wide eyes. "Juste!? Are you…flying!?"

Juste laughed and was about to reply when he noticed Wami behind her. The Alligator Master had a dangerous gleam in his eye that one didn't get during a friendly spar. The Turtle Master's suspicions only become stronger when he noticed Wami charging a chi attack.

"Look out!" Fox turned around just in time to see the green chi wave approaching her. The Kitsune Master leaped into the air and deftly avoided the attack, letting it streak into the air and almost hit Flying Cloud. "Hey, watch it!"

The two fighters didn't respond, having become engrossed with their battle once more. Juste noticed how hard they were going at it and decided that this was no spar but a true battle, possibly to the death. But why?

"Looks like Bryan wasn't the only bad seed in the tournament Flying Cloud" the Devil Master muttered after a moment "let's see if we can't score a second win today." Juste leaped off the mystic cloud and landed directly between the two fighters just as the Alligator Master was ready to charge Fox. "I'm surprised no one invited me to this little match. Today was supposed to be a battle royale between us after all."

"Get out of here Juste, I don't need your help" Fox said pridefully "this guy is too much for you to handle." Wami chuckled condescendingly and assumed a power-up stance. He had soon entered his own Max Power state which he'd used against Fox the night before. "You'd best listen to the lady Devil Master. I don't know how you beat Bryan but in your drunken state, you're no match for me!"

Juste smirked. This guy clearly wasn't up to speed on current events. The Devil Master knew he was a little low on power but he was more than a match for Wami. Rather than respond to this taunt, he merely cupped his hands to his side and began to gather his chi once more.

"Kamehameha!" Juste cried out quickly as a weaker version of his new attack shot out of his hands. It struck Wami and and sent him flying off the raft, but the burst of power also sent Juste flying off the raft and into the water.

"Hey, I can't swim! Flying Cloud, get me out of here!" The mystic cloud responded to it's companion's summons and floated close enough for the Devil Master to climb aboard. Fox giggled even as a sheepish Juste floated over to her.

"Hey, give me a break, will ya? I'm still new to this rescue stuff and you're only my second one." Juste didn't want to admit that his very first rescue attempt had failed and he ended up being bailed out by some mystery boy with incredible strength.

Fox rolled her eyes as Juste extended his hand and helped her aboard Flying Cloud, "I didn't need saving" she began, sounding very annoyed before smiling sweely and leaning in to kiss him on the cheek …but it was still very brave. Thanks."

Juste blushed, the only thing he would allow when fighting his perverted instincts. Fox giggled then turned her attention back to the ocean. "What about him? Even after what he's done, he doesn't deserve to drown."

The Kitsune Master was referring to Wami, who also couldn't swim and was being swept away by a strong current. "Somehow, I think he'll survive" Juste said half-jokingly "right now, we have to get back to the temple. There's a lot to do now that the tournament's over."

"What? But we never had our match!" Fox protested with a pout that was enough to almost enough to make Juste's nose bleed a gusher.  
"Sorry, but I already won" Juste said with a bit of smugness "we could have our own little match on the way but I don't fancy your chances. I feel like I could take on anyone after today!" Fox simply smirked. "We'll see…"


End file.
